James Ward-Prowse can’t wait to get stuck into the action in the USA after touching down on the other side of the pond with his West Ham United teammates.
The Hammers have completed the near eight-hour flight to New York, and a bus ride through the iconic skyscrapers of Manhattan to New Jersey, ready for what promises to be an unforgettable 12-day tour that will see them compete in the Premier League Summer Series alongside fellow English top-flight sides Manchester United, Everton and AFC Bournemouth.
The Red Devils are first up for the Irons at the at the venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford (Saturday 26 July, 7pm ET), before they travel to take on the Toffees at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois (Wednesday 30 July, 5.30pm CT) and then the Cherries at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia (Sunday 3 August, 2pm ET).
Tickets for all three matches remain on General Sale HERE, with supporters now able to save 20% on select seats by using the code PLSS20.
While Ward-Prowse was part of the West Ham squad that competed in the Stateside Cup in Florida last summer, and he previously visited the USA with Southampton in 2016, New Jersey, Chicago and Atlanta are all new to our No8, who is excited to see what lies ahead on and off the pitch over the coming days.
“I’ve been really looking forward to this trip, and it’s great to be here,” he said. “I’ve never been to any of the cities we’re visiting, so it’s going to be great to see what’s in store and I’m sure we’re all going to enjoy the whole experience.
“We’re very lucky in the job we do that we get to travel the world, and see the power that football possesses, and it’s going to be great to balance our season preparations with connecting with fans and the audience over here in the US.
“We’ve got three exciting games ahead, lots of training, and lots of exciting events, and now we’re here so we’re ready to get going!”
From pre-match parties and Q&A evenings to a matchday ‘Sailgate’ cruise, there’s something for every Hammer following the team over in the USA. To see how you can get involved in New Jersey and Chicago, click HERE.
Alongside the many scheduled fan activations during the trip, Ward-Prowse is also looking forward to further building strong relationships with his teammates and the coaching staff in America, following last week’s successful training camp in Germany.
The England international played the first half of Graham Potter’s side’s first match of the summer, which yielded a 3-1 win over Grasshopper Club Zürich on Saturday, and he is confident of more progress as the team ultimately shape up for their 2025/26 Premier League opener at Sunderland on Saturday 16 August.
Ward-Prowse added: “In terms of the football, this time of year is really important in terms of laying the foundations for what’s to come. Not only from a physical aspect, but also in terms of bonding and getting to know each other.
“I think we had a really good balance of those things in Germany, so I think we’re all excited for this next trip, and next challenge.
“Ultimately, we know we want to be peaking, in terms of performance, in time for that first Premier League game. We know not everything’s going to be perfect straight away, but I think we’ve make some really positive steps, and the games we’ve got over here promise to be brilliant.”
Tickets for West Ham's three matches - against Manchester United, Everton and AFC Bournemouth - remain on General Sale HERE, with supporters now able to save 20% on select seats by using the code PLSS20.
We will be providing regular updates from the USA during the tour here on www.whufc.com, and on the Club’s official app.
