James Ward-Prowse has no qualms about admitting that the 2024/25 Premier League campaign did not turn out how either he or West Ham United as a whole would have wanted.
The ex-Southampton captain left Nottingham Forest after only a few months at the City Ground, his loan deal terminated in January. And, after returning to his parent club, James Ward-Prowse accepts that he failed to hit the heights of happier times on the South Coast.
The England international ended the season with one goal and two assists from 17 Premier League starts.
And while Ward-Prowse remains in touching distance of David Beckham’s free-kick record, the second-most prolific set-piece scorer in the competition’s history has not showcased that trademark party trick even once since joining West Ham United during the summer of 2023.
Unsurprisingly, then, Ward-Prowse is a footballer with a point to prove. The bit firmly clenched between his teeth.
James Ward-Prowse wants West Ham United back in Europe
Speaking to The Standard, a man who made his 400th top-flight appearance in the spring is determined to help West Ham force their way back into the European reckoning.
Conference League champions in 2023, the Hammers enjoyed three successive seasons in continental competition under David Moyes. Last term’s eventual 14th place finish, however, saw a team now at Graham Potter’s fingertips fall a staggering 23 points behind Nottingham Forest in seventh.
“For the fans, travelling around Europe has become the norm, and we weren’t able to deliver that,” says Ward-Prowse, whose deadly set-pieces helped West Ham reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League before running into Bayer Leverkusen 16 months ago.
“Those European adventures are something we should be striving for again. The size of the club and the way it’s run, it should be fighting for Europe.
“That should be a realistic aim for us next season.”
Ward-Prowse backs Graham Potter to improve West Ham
Ward-Prowse is ‘confident’ Graham Potter will improve West Ham once the manager has a full pre-season under his belt. The London Stadium outfit enjoyed impressive away wins at Manchester United and Ipswich, plus a hard-earned 1-1 draw with rivals Tottenham Hotspur, during a promising end to the 2024/25 campaign.
“For somebody who has had a lot of stability in his career in terms of being at a club for a long period of time, then getting a move and then moving again so quickly, it has been challenging in lots of ways,” adds Ward-Prowse, who made 343 of his 404 Premier League appearances in a Southampton shirt.
“Not just on the football side.
“By my own standards, I’ve not been where I want to be. But it’s a good test of character that will stand me in good stead for years to come.
“I wanted to have a positive impact [when I returned from Nottingham Forest] because, as a team, we weren’t in a great place. By the standards the club has set for themselves in recent years with European campaigns and the Conference League, it’s been below that standard.
“We know that, and we’re not used to it. So it hurts even more.
“But this is a good opportunity to get away, reflect on the season as a whole, and recharge the batteries ready for the next one. It’ll be some time with the family, and some golf along the way.
“With the disappointment of this season, there’s a burning desire in all of us to put things right.”
Fighting talk, indeed, from a player desperate to right recent wrongs.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
