West Ham United midfielder James Ward-Prowse is buoyed by the recent signing of his former Southampton colleague and good friend, Kyle Walker-Peters.
The Hammers confirmed the arrival of two-cap England international Walker-Peters on Sunday, and ahead of the versatile defender’s first training session with his new teammates at Rush Green, Ward-Prowse was among the first to greet him with big smiles.
The duo have played together on 120 occasions previously - all for the Saints bar one friendly win over Ivory Coast for England in March 2022 - with only four individuals having lined up alongside Walker-Peters more times than Ward-Prowse.
After captaining our new No2 for three years on the south coast, and kept in touch with him since his own move to West Ham two years ago, Ward-Prowse is confident in the many qualities Walker-Peters will bring to the squad, both on and off the pitch.
“It’s a really positive signing, for sure,” Ward-Prowse said. “First and foremost, he’s a top guy, a top professional, and he’s someone who’s experienced and understands the game very well.
“When you’re playing, he’s somebody you can give the ball to and can trust. You know he’ll look after the ball and make good decisions, and he is someone who is always very dangerous in possession.
“When we were both at Southampton, I’d often play as the right-sided central midfielder, so I’d find myself linking up with him, and he was always someone I enjoyed playing with.
“He’s got a great football brain on him, and he’s someone who it’s easy to build up a strong relationship with, that translates both on and off the pitch.”
The two players enjoyed catching up after their one competitive meeting on the grass following Ward-Prowse’s departure from the south coast, during West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Southampton towards the end of 2024/25, and our No8 has enjoyed tracking Walker-Peters’ progress, that has seen him accumulate 148 Premier League appearances as it stands, as well as be named in both the 2023/24 PFA and EFL Championship Teams of the Season.
Besides his on-the-ball prowess, Ward-Prowse is looking forward to seeing how Walker-Peters passes his experience and know-how on to the rest of the squad, while he feels his versatility across the backline could be hugely beneficial during the upcoming 2025/26 campaign.
Ward-Prowse added: “I’ve always had a really good relationship with Kyle, and enjoyed catching up with him when we’ve come across each other. I’m lucky to be sharing a dressing room with him again, and it’s been nice to see him and show him around so far.
“I’m sure he’ll get his feet under the table very quickly, and show what he’s about. He’s already made a good impression on day one, fitted in seamlessly, and shown his quality across the board out in training.
“I definitely think his versatility is going to be massive. It’s a really good trait to have, and massive from a manager’s point of view. He’s always performed well, no matter where he’s played, and I think he’s going to have a really big role to play in the new season. It's really exciting.”
