James Ward-Prowse Welcomes Physical Challenge

James Ward-Prowse is a technically gifted young English midfielder, he can spot at pass, he can play intricate little balls and he can break up the play. However for a lad that is just 5'8 with a slight frame, the more physical elements can be a little hard to deal with. However Ward-Prowse is taking them all in stride this year as his Southampton side go marching on.

Speaking after the 1-1 weekend draw at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke, James said:

“It was a real brutal experience for me out there and for a youngster to go out there and experience that was great because we won’t go to many places tougher than that.

“As a team we're pleased with a point but disappointed on the other hand not to have all three.

“If you look around their team they’re all big and physical players, so it was a good experience for me. In fairness to us, we kept our bravery to keep on probing for the win, and I think we got our just desserts in the end.”

James has a lot to his game but he still has a lot of improvement to do before he manages to make a real impact on the English national side. However dealing with a physical side like Stoke is something that he'll need to get used to and I'm sure as he gets older and matures his game, he'll find ways to manage these games a little better so his body doesn't quite take as much of a beating.

Ward-Prowse should be in action a week on Thursday as the England U21 side face Finland in a European Qualification match.