Not everyone celebrated when Nuno Espírito Santo arrived in place of Graham Potter at West Ham’s training ground last September. One West Ham elder statesman must have known exactly what was coming the moment the Portuguese coach was unveiled as the Hammers’ fourth supremo inside two years.
Poor James Ward Prowse. Graham Potter’s ever-present. However much the fan base criticised the midfielder, his was the first name on the team sheet under his English patron. However poor the performance or depressing the side-side-back football. Ward Prowse was there , every week,. And then Nuno arrived and everything stopped dead.
Already tried, tested and found wanting during his loan spell under Nuno the previous season at Nottingham Forest, James Ward Prowse was excised from the team sheet and even from first team training.
He must have known there was no way back and spent half a season in West Ham’s version of Chelsea’s bomb squad – training with no hope of a game – until a further loan was arranged with Burnley.
James Ward Prowse has found his way back to match fitness – for a Premier League swan song
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And finally ‘JWP’ has made it through a 90 minute game again for the first time since Potter left West Ham. Speaking to Burnleyexpress.net, Ward Prowse has described his own relief at – effectively – being able to put himself in the shop window for the rest of the season.
““I’m feeling physically better week by week” – after sun a long layoff, “
(unlike Hammers loanee Disasi who hit the ground running, Ward- Prowse has taken weeks to build up to match fitness…)
“Obviously it’s a long time without any game time, so it’s important to build week by week. I’m growing in confidence and starting to enjoy my football again.”
Whether he has the time to impress – and perhaps grab that elusive record-equalling free kick in the games that remain before his Premier League career ends for good – who can tell.
For Ward Prowse is most likely going quietly through his top flight swan song: As surely as Burnley are heading for the trap door, the likeable midfielder’s future is heading toward the same destination. He’ll not find a home at another Premier League side so if he’s fortunate, he’ll be able to extend his career another couple of seasons in a lower tier.