The departure of James Ward-Prowse on deadline day was perhaps the most surprising exit of our summer dealings. The former Southampton man enjoyed a stellar first season in claret and blue under David Moyes, contributing to 19 goals in all competitions.
He brought leadership to a team that desperately lacked leaders and was a firm fan favourite. Indeed, I had him pencilled in as a potential captain at the club when news began to break of Kurt Zouma’s departure at the club.
So, to hear he was set to join Nottingham Forest on deadline day was a massive shock to me. However, with Julen Lopetegui trying to stamp his authority and bring a new style onto the club, the Spaniard had his heart set on reuniting with his fellow countryman, Carlos Soler, so Ward-Prowse was the man to depart to allow for Soler’s signing.
Ward-Prowse is known for his set-piece specials; we benefited from that ability last season, and we have certainly lost that expectation when we are awarded a free-kick or corner, with Bowen struggling to replicate the whip that a Ward-Prowse deadball bought. The only disappointment from his time here is that he didn’t match David Beckham’s free-kick record whilst in claret and blue.
You feel that he will break it this season at the City Ground at some point. Of course, it is vintage West Ham that he would lose his ability to ping a ball into the top corner from a free kick as soon as he pulled on the Hammers shirt. His first-half performance against Bayern Leverkusen in the Europa League will live with the West Ham faithful for a long time.
As he covered every blade of grass on the pitch that night, he reminded me of a more skilled John Moncur. He worked his socks off, and his performance epitomised the type of player he is. Honest, hard-working, and technically superb, I would love to have known where the Hammers would’ve finished had Moyes stuck with him in the number 10 role, where he thrived early in the 2023/2024 season.
His performance against Brighton at the Amex last season showed that if you take his defensive responsibilities away, he could bring a lot to the table in the final third. In truth, though, with Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta in the side, it would always be hard for him to make that position his own despite the promising signs he showed.
You can see why Nottingham Forest would want him. They have a bunch of big lads who should benefit from his delivery. You can also see why Ward-Prowse would like to move there. He is bound to get a lot of first-team action in the Premier League.
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