West Ham took the necessary move to strengthen a relegation rival in the form of Burnley by loaning them James Ward-Prowse.
Frankly, Ward-Prowse‘s situation at West Ham became untenable. While he wasn’t exactly a successful signing, having a player of his profile exiled from the first team helped no one.
Now, Ward-Prowse has joined Burnley on loan for the rest of the season. The Clarets are only five points behind the Hammers in the Premier League table and it’s not absolutely out of the question that they’d put a run together.
Why do YOU think it didn’t work out for James Ward-Prowse at West Ham?
Still, West Ham needed the midfielder to do something to raise his value, after Ward-Prowse was exiled from the first-team under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Former Irons captain Scott Parker, of course, is in charge of Burnley and he’s delighted with the deal as he looks to pull off a great escape of his own.
Scott Parker praises James Ward-Prowse’s move to Burnley
Parker was speaking during Thursday’s pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s trip up to Sunderland on Monday evening.
He is of the belief that while Ward-Prowse offers much more than his set-pieces (West Ham fans might disagree), it’s an area of their game that has seen an instant improvement following his arrival.
Asked about the midfielder, Parker said: “In terms of set-plays he’s an absolute expert so it definitely helps in that area, along with other areas.
“It would be unfair of me to only compliment James’ ability on set-plays – he brings an all-round game – but, for sure, he will give us an added something in that area. That side of the game has gone up tenfold.”
How will you remember Lucas Paqueta? 🤔
When was the last time James Ward-Prowse scored a free-kick?
Ward-Prowse is regarded as a free-kick expert, having scored 19 of them over the course of his career.
All but two of those came in the Premier League, meaning only David Beckham (18) has scored more free-kicks in the competition than Ward-Prowse (17).
However, in a statistic that perhaps sums up his time at the club, Ward-Prowse never scored a free-kick for West Ham.
The last time he struck a successful one came during his days as a Southampton player, against Chelsea in February 2023.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
