Prior to that, Ward-Prowse curled in an unstoppable direct free-kick for Southampton back in January 2022, and his next will see the 30-year-old tie David Beckham for the Premier League record of 18.
“I did score a good one there a few years back,” Ward-Prowse smiled, when reminded of his strike past José Sá. “It's been a while since I've had one of them, so I’ll hopefully try and copy that one!”
Wolves kick-off Tuesday’s game one place – but nine points – above the relegation zone, and Ward-Prowse knows from his days battling the drop with Southampton that the hosts will be giving everything to ensure their own survival.
“It's tough, I've been in that position myself and I think when you play against teams above you, especially at home, you see it as a good opportunity and I think you have to put yourself in their position and obviously they're fighting for their lives and trying to secure their Premier League status, so you have to match their endeavour and match that kind of work-rate before the football does the talking,” he observed.
“We’ve got to be focused on us and what we can do. I think we all know it's not been the season that we'd have hoped for, but I still think we've got a good opportunity to finish the season as strong as we can and give ourselves a bit of momentum going into the summer, looking forward to next season. I think to finish well will give us a benefit when we come back to pre-season, obviously having been on a good run.”