World Cup 2022: James Ward-Prowse 'hungry' for England call-up after Euros disappointment
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BySam Webb
Published 22/12/2021 at 18:44 GMT
"Going away from that camp gave me that hunger and desire to be back there soon. To be sat at home watching them was difficult." Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse has set his sights firmly on playing underr Gareth Southgate at the Qatar World Cup and his determined not to let the disappointment of not playing at the Euros stop him.
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Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse says he has a “hunger and desire” to break back into the England squad for next year’s World Cup after the disappointment of missing out on Euro 2020.
The midfielder was named in Gareth Southgate’s initial 26-man provisional squad in the summer but was not included in the final selection and watched from home as the Three Lions reached their first major final since 1966, losing to Italy.
Ward-Prowse says he is using the disappointment he felt as motivation to get back into the team.
"Of course I had the disappointment from the summer, but to see them be so successful and the way they handled themselves is a big inspiration to me to be back in amongst that group and hopefully be successful as well,” he told PA news agency.
"You have setbacks in your career, you have challenges. Some go your way and some don't and you have to be resilient and maintain that belief in yourself that you can be playing at that level.
Going away from that camp gave me that hunger and desire to be back there soon. To be sat at home watching them be successful on the one hand was difficult, but equally, it was really good.
"It was a tough time, but I need to be doing my talking on the pitch at Southampton and give myself that platform to get back into the squad."
Competition is tough for a place in Southgate’s side, however, in the midfield area particularly, with Crystal Palace’s in-form Conor Gallagher being handed his first senior cap last month as well as promising Arsenal youngster Emile Smith-Rowe.
Ward-Prowse says the fact he already has nine caps to is name is of no advantage in terms of getting called-up.
"I never rely on that, because ultimately if somebody is playing better than me, they deserve to be in the squad,” he said while speaking on behalf of Virgin Media at a promotional event.
"It helps that I know [Southgate] so well, I know how he works and how he operates and I enjoy playing under him.
"It's a case of finding that level here and getting back in that squad as soon as I can."
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Ward-Prowse's beautifully struck free-kick brought Southampton level against Crystal Palace on 15 December
Image credit: Getty Images
One aspect that many England fans argue the Saints skipper could bring to the national team is his quality from set pieces.
He recently notched his 11th Premier League goal from a direct free-kick in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, taking his total to just one shy of Thierry Henry and Gianfranco Zola on 12, with David Beckham leading the all-time list on 18.
Asked if he could match Beckham’s total, he said: "We don't get too many opportunities in games, so when those come along, it's a big moment.
"Hopefully I can reach that or surpass him, that would be incredible. I've got a bit of time, but we'll see.
"When I was younger, I just felt really confident with free-kicks. I wanted to be like Beckham, I wanted to be like [Steven] Gerrard and score the worldies from a dead ball.
"Starting out when I was a kid, I always liked taking free-kicks and now you're going up towards the top where the greats are, so of course it's a nice feeling to have.
"But I'm not satisfied yet. There are still a few more to get and I hopefully can reach the top level on that."
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