The sole “silver lining,” according to Ben Foster, to James Ward-Prowse of West Ham United’s ongoing exclusion from the England team is that he may now take a break.
Speaking on the Ben Foster Podcast (10 October), the former Three Lions goalkeeper said that if Gareth Southgate continues to leave the midfielder out, he may take a holiday with his family during a break in a hectic West Ham fixture list.
After a stellar debut season at West Ham, where he has already contributed six assists and two goals in all competitions since signing from Southampton in the summer, Foster thinks Ward-Prowse belongs in the starting lineup.
The one bright spot in all of this, according to Foster, is that he might get four or six days off to take a vacation.If you know you belong in the England squad and the call never comes, it’s the only positive thing that can come from an international break.
“At some point, you have to say to yourself, ‘I’m trying my hardest, but what if [Southgate] doesn’t select me? Okay, but I’m going to have a brief vacation with the family
Unfairly or not, Ward-Prowse might be thinking about cutting down on the amount of time he spends stressing over being selected for Southgate’s teams.
Even though he has had a wonderful start to his career in claret and blue, the England manager continues to choose other midfield players, such as Conor Gallagher, Jordan Henderson, and Kalvin Phillips, who many would argue aren’t as worthy as Ward-Prowse at this point in his career.
Although Southgate has good reasons for passing on Ward-Prowse and would undoubtedly value his skill and ability on the ball, it’s possible that his game plan does not align with the England manager’s preferred style of play.
Although Southgate frequently looks to players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka to handle set pieces and pick passes for an assist or break down defenses, Ward-Prowse is a master at creating chances and mastering the set piece.
Having said that, the statistics are accurate. Despite having a busy schedule, the midfield player may be relieved to have a break, but he will be upset not to be playing for his country.
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