West Ham: Ben Foster drops ‘silver lining’ verdict on continued England omission for James Ward-Prowse
Ben Foster has claimed the only “silver lining” to West Ham United star James Ward-Prowse’s continued omission from the England side is his ability to get a rest.
Speaking on the Ben Foster Podcast (10 October), the former Three Lions goalkeeper suggested that the midfielder can better recuperate if he continues to be omitted by Gareth Southgate, suggesting he could take a holiday with his family amid a break in a busy West Ham fixture list.
Foster believes Ward-Prowse should be in the set-up after his excellent start to life at West Ham, where he has scored twice and registered six assists in all competitions since joining from Southampton in the summer.
Foster said: “The only sort of silver lining to all of it is that he might get four, five, six days off where he can go on holiday.
“Genuinely, it’s the only good thing that can come from an international break where you know you should be in the England squad, and the call don’t come.
“Eventually at some point you’ve got to go, ‘I’m doing all I can do, but if [Southgate’s] not going to pick me? Cool, but I’m going to get a little holiday with the family’.”
Shift the focus
Undeservedly or not, Ward-Prowse may be considering limiting the amount of time he wastes worrying about getting into Southgate’s squads.
Despite his fantastic start to life in claret and blue, the England boss still opts to select other midfield options, including Kalvin Phillips, Jordan Henderson and Conor Gallagher, who many would consider as not as deserving as Ward-Prowse on current form.
Southgate clearly has his reasons not to pick Ward-Prowse and he would surely appreciate his talent and ability on the ball, but perhaps what he offers does not gel with how the England boss wants to play.
Ward-Prowse is a creator of chances and a set-piece specialist, but Southgate often relies on the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Harry Kane to pick the pass for an assist or break down defences, while the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka are adept at set pieces.
That being said, the stats don’t lie. While a rest may be welcomed by the midfielder amid a hectic calendar, he will be disappointed to not be a factor on the international scene.
In other West Ham news, Gary Lineker was left surprised by what happened to a Hammers star after an announcement.