Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce that Academy graduate James Ward-Prowse has signed a new five-and-a-half year contract.
The new deal will see the midfielder remain with the club until 2020, having been a key figure in the first team over the previous three seasons.
Ward-Prowse, who joined Southampton at the age of eight, has progressed through the ranks with the club, and has made 17 appearances so far this season.
The 20 year-old made his debut for Saints in a Capital One Cup defeat to Crystal Palace in October 2011, before scoring his first goal for the club in an FA Cup win against Coventry City later that season.
His form for Saints saw him earn international recognition, as he represented England’s Under-20s at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2013 before making the step up to the Under-21 side.
Ward-Prowse has made 13 appearances for the Under-21s to date, scoring three goals, and helped them qualify for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship this summer.
Speaking to Southampton’s official YouTube channel about his new deal, Ward-Prowse said: “The club is in a fantastic position and ever since I joined the club at a young age I knew it was the right place to be. I fell in love with the place straight away.
“I’ve been on a fantastic journey, the club has too, and it’s great to extend my stay. I’m really excited for the next few years.
“You only have to look at the players we’ve produced over the last few years to see it is the right place. There’s not many clubs in the country, or the world, who give young players the chance to play in the biggest league in the world.
“I’m very fortunate that I’ve been given that chance and now it’s time to repay the faith that the club have shown in me.
“It means everything to me. The club have always done their all for me to make sure I develop not only into a good footballer but a good person and I’m very thankful for that.”
Saints boss Ronald Koeman was equally pleased to see Ward-Prowse extend his stay with the club. “He’s one of the young players who is developing himself in a very good way. He will be a great player," Koeman said.
“It’s always good news, I’m happy that he would like to stay with us. It’s a good signal to the rest of the players. He’s one of the examples for the Academy, to the confidence of the young players.
“Prowsey developed in the Academy and now he’s one of the young players who plays for the first team. He’s a good professional, always serious in his training, in his discipline, he’s a big example for all young players.”
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