VIDEO: James Ward Prowse Previews the U20s World Cup

England U20s starlet James Ward-Prowse says the experience of working under Peter Taylor at a World Cup can be vital to all of the squad’s development.

The Southampton midfielder is part of Taylor’s 21-man group which is in Turkey preparing for the competition.

And the 18-year-old intends to soak up as much of the World Cup experience as possible to aid his own personal development.

He told FATV: “To be handed the chance to play at a World Cup at our age is something that’s unbelievable.

“FIFA rank it as their second most important competition, so it’s something that we’re relishing.

“We all want to play in the World Cup, hopefully in Brazil, so it’s a good chance to get some experience under our belt.”

Ward-Prowse has been a regular on the England scene this season, captaining the U19s against World Cup hosts Turkey earlier in the campaign.

His impressive form with Southampton – appearing in 15 Premier League matches last season including four starts – saw him selected by Head Coach Taylor for the trip to Turkey.

He added: “Peter Taylor has been fantastic with us all, we’ve all bonded really well and he’s had a good laugh with the lads.

“He’s a really good coach and someone to learn off. He offers a lot of experience for us and we’re all buzzing off him.”

Source: England Youtube Channel

James Ward-Prowse Signs New 5 Year Deal

Shake on it: Adkins and Ward-Prowse after new 5-year deal is agreed

Absolute Football understands that Saints’ youngster, James Ward-Prowse has agreed a new 5-year deal, keeping him at the club until the middle of 2017. 

Ward-Prowse, one of the latest graduates from Southampton’s acclaimed academy , has garnered the praise of numerous pundits based on his performances.

Saints fans will be relieved to hear their young star is committed to the club, particularly after seeing the likes of Theo Walcott, Nathan Dyer, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain graduating through the academy only to leave the club.

Ward-Prowse appears to be ecstatic about the new deal: “it was nice that we got the win on Saturday, and it’s nice to put pen to paper. I can kick on from here.”

“It has been an absolute whirlwind to go from playing under-18 football against lower-league teams to playing against the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United.”

“That’s been my dream since I was a young kid, so to get to that stage is fantastic.”

“My short-term aim now is to get back into the team. There’s a lot of competition for places now Corky  is back because he’s done well in the last two games.”

Saints fans will be hoping that 17 year old, Luke Shaw, will follow in his footsteps after an impressive performance vs QPR at the weekend.

Having received a £4 million offer from Spurs in the summer, speculation in the January transfer window is likely.

@FootballAbsolut