'He's the best free-kick taker in the world': Ward-Prowse, the heir chasing Beckham

A consecration, or almost for the middle of Southampton. “Beckham was my favorite player, he explained to the Guardian in 2020 . It was not only his free kicks but his overall image. I copied all his haircuts, I wanted his shoes, I wanted to wear the same shirt number, he was the player I looked at and said ‘wow’ He inspired me so much and pushed me to try free kicks“. From the power of idols.

So, is Ward-Prowse the descendant of Beckham? “I’ve lost count of how many people have said this to me, mentioning all the similarities in our techniques but I believe there are differences nonetheless“, he explains again. Facing Wolverhampton, it is almost Steven Gerrard that he will have made think of, with this armband on his arm and this number 8 flocked on the back. Or to Juninho with this unreadable floating trajectory for the opposing goalkeeper.

If the comparison is flattering, it does not completely define the secret technique of Ward-Prowse. His post-strike contortion is unlike any other. “My routine? I put the ball down and put my foot at 45 degrees to the ball. I take four steps back. I look at the wall to see if it isn’t there is not a weak point somewhere “, he explained in 2017 in a fun contest with Jimmy Bullard.

What about Qatar in 2022?

The rest: a crazy fluidity of foot and an accompaniment of the gesture worthy of a tennis player. “ Beckham was not as arched as me , he detailed this week. When I hit the ball, I try to jump to force this effect which makes the ball float. I think I found my own method “. A priori, he has no reason to change it.

But summing up Ward-Prowse as a free-kick taker, as exceptional as he is, would be a mistake. “ He is so good that we may be missing his quality as a player , underlined Guardiola. He’s a player who knows how to adapt to different positions, a team player. But it’s true that on set pieces, he’s exceptional“.

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An impression obviously shared by his trainer, Ralph Hasenhüttl: “He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, he believes.He is not only fantastic from a free kick but he provides above all a titanic work in each match. He can run more than any player, he is solid in the duel, he is gifted with the ball, technical and very intelligent“.

Even Gareth Southgate quickly made it to the show dence, making the Saints player a regular call-up despite the competition for his position. The same one that deprived him of the Euro despite his crazy season last year (44 matches, 9 goals, 7 assists). “ It was a disappointment this summer , had admitted the player to the Press Association at the start of the season. “But seeing them so successful and the way they handled it all is a big inspiration. I want to see this band again to experience the same success”. And should a last-ditch free-kick ever come up for the Three Lions in Qatar, they will know who to give the ball to. No need to try, no need to insist. The best is him.

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