Southampton re-sign former captain Ward-Prowse

Southampton have announced the re-signing of former captain James Ward-Prowse from Championship side West Ham United. The 31-year-old England international midfielder has agreed to a two-year contract at St Mary's in a deal valued at nearly £1 million. In his time at West Ham, Ward-Prowse featured in 75 games, and before that had loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Burnley, where he played 14 times last season.

The Southampton youngster began his career at the club at the age of eight and progressed through the academy, making 410 first-team appearances. Ward-Prowse expressed his delight at returning to Southampton, stating that it feels surreal and that the red and white colors are truly special to him. He emphasized that Southampton is his home, having grown up in the academy since he was eight years old.

Ward-Prowse is eager to face new challenges at his former club, expressing excitement for the prospect of wearing the familiar jerseys again. During his time at Southampton, the midfielder scored 55 goals and provided 52 assists, with 17 of his goals coming from Premier League free-kicks. The English international earned 11 caps for his national team, scoring two goals in total.