James Ward-Prowse world-class form confirmed as West Ham ace places high in rankings
James Ward-Prowse’s excellent form for West Ham United has been recognised after the midfielder ranked third in a list of highest-rated 28-year-olds in Europe’s top five leagues.
According to WhoScored, Ward-Prowse has averaged a 7.53 ranking for his Premier League performances, equalling Bayern Munich ace Joshua Kimmich and just 0.11 below Bayer Leverkusen wing-back Alex Grimaldo.
With consistently high performances in what is considered the toughest league in the world, the former Southampton man must be considered a world-class asset on the Hammers books.
Before his move away from Southampton, many thought Ward-Prowse could truly thrive elsewhere. The Saints’ habit of finding themselves in the relegation battle limited Ward-Prowse’s ability, but it finally proved too tough to kick. Their subsequent drop to the Championship saw the Hammers secure what now looks like a bargain.
With two goals and six assists in all competitions for West Ham this season, he comfortably has the most goal contributions in the whole squad. However, it is the moments when he is producing this magic that show his impact.
Without his creativity, West Ham would certainly be in a worse spot than their seventh-place standing in the Premier League. His brace of assists against Chelsea won the Hammers a famous three points at the London Stadium, while his assist against Luton Town helped prevent an upset in their 2-1 win.
Goals against Brighton and Manchester City also show his contribution to the side, but his superb vision and range of passing have likely been the main factor in his high WhoScored rankings.
Huge England stars like Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka are all 28 years old too, making Ward-Prowse’s high ranking that much more impressive.
While rankings of this nature can only say so much about a player’s performance, it is indicative of form and consistency and West Ham fans will be very proud to see their new star boy in world-class form in claret and blue.
In other West Ham news, Simon Jordan and Danny Murphy clashed live on talkSPORT over a Hammers’ development.