James Ward-Prowse exclusive interview: ‘I'm ready to fight for West Ham place - we should aim for Europe' | OneFootball

Hammers midfielder reflects on a tough season as he waits to equal David Beckham’s Premier League free-kick record

“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, not just on the football side.”

James Ward-Prowse speaks with a certain degree of resignation about the campaign just gone, a season that began with a loan move to Nottingham Forest after Julen Lopetegui told him he could leave West Ham, but which culminated in Graham Potter cutting that deal short and bringing him back to the London Stadium in January.

“I wanted to have a positive impact because, as a team, we [West Ham] 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.”

Ward-Prowse, the former Southampton captain who has 11 England caps, is most associated, of course, with his world-class free-kicks. He needs just one goal to move level with David Beckham as the Premier League’s all-time most prolific scorer of direct free-kicks — and yet that has been the case for more than 28 months, with West Ham yet to profit.

With the disappointment of this season, there’s a burning desire in all of us to put things right

James Ward-Prowse

West Ham’s finish of 14th was clearly nothing to celebrate, but in truth that final position perhaps put somewhat of a gloss on what was a season to forget, the football produced particularly poor under Lopetegui, before Potter had succeeded him and Ward-Prowse had returned.

Injuries were a mitigating factor, though, including especially unfortunate and costly extended spells on the sidelines for two of last summer’s more exciting recruits: winger Crysencio Summerville and striker Niclas Fullkrug.

James Ward-Prowse holding the Curl Master ONE

Curl Master

“Injuries happen; that’s part and parcel of football,” says Ward-Prowse, speaking at the launch of the Curl Master ONE. “But they work hard to put things right, and when they’re fully fit I’m sure they’ll have a great impact on the team.”

With Aaron Cresswell, Łukasz Fabiański, Vladimír Coufal, Danny Ings and Kurt Zouma all leaving West Ham as free agents this summer and Carlos Soler and Evan Ferguson’s loans having ended, new signings are required for a club in need of a fresh injection of quality.

“Changes in the summer are normal,” Ward-Prowse says. “There will be comings and goings. But I have to make sure I’m ready to come back and fight for my place.

“With the disappointment of this season, there’s a burning desire in all of us to put things right.

“For the fans, travelling around Europe has become the norm, and we weren’t able to deliver that. 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.”

James Ward-Prowse was speaking at the launch of the Curl Master ONE, a unique football training device designed to improve a football player’s ball-curling technique, purchasable here.