James Ward-Prowse: Career stats and big winners if Burnley sign midfielder
Who would be the big winners at Turf Moor if Burnley sign James Ward-Prowse on loan?
Burnley are reportedly pushing to seal a loan deal for West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse before the end of the January transfer window, but what can the Clarets expect from the midfielder?
Scott Parker is in desperate need of midfield reinforcements following the ACL injury sustained by captain Josh Cullen, who is now expected to miss the rest of the season. Ward-Prowse would bring immense Premier League experience to Turf Moor, while he’s famous for his ruthless effectiveness in set-piece situations. How do his top-flight stats look to date, and who would be the biggest winners of his signing?
James Ward-Prowse career stats
Ward-Prowse made his professional debut aged just 16 back in 2011, facing Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup. Since then, the midfielder has clocked up 493 senior appearances for Southampton, West Ham and Nottingham Forest combined.
The 31-year-old has registered 63 goals and 65 assists during that time, including 104 direct goal involvements in the Premier League (57g/47a).
Of course, the 11-time England international is famous for his set-piece prowess, and to date, he’s netted 17 goals from direct free-kicks. Only David Beckham (18) has managed more in that regard, while Ward-Prowse’s total leaves him five clear of closest challengers and Premier League legends Gianfranco Zola, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry.
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Ward-Prowse is also second only to Chris Brunt (33) for the most Premier League assists from set-pieces, with his right foot helping set up 31 goals from such situations. His most productive Premier League campaign to date was the 2021/22 season, when he bagged 10 goals and five assists in 36 appearances to help Southampton finish 15th. Half of those goals came from set-pieces, which was a joint-league-high, while three of his five assists came from set-pieces.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Southampton | 410 | 55 | 52 |
| West Ham | 73 | 8 | 12 |
| Nottingham Forest | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| England | 11 | 2 | 0 |
James Ward-Prowse’s career stats for club and country.
Who would be the biggest winners if Burnley sign James Ward-Prowse?
Burnley simply must start scoring more goals if they’re to avoid relegation back to the Championship. In that regard, Ward-Prowse’s set-piece delivery and overall ball-striking ability could prove vital to their survival hopes. In terms of individuals, it’s easy to see Armando Broja being one of the biggest winners at Turf Moor if he were signed. The Albanian stands at over 6ft 2” tall and is a considerable threat in the 18-yard box, while he played alongside Ward-Prowse at Southampton during the 2021/22 campaign.
Lesley Ugochukwu has scored two goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season and is even taller than Broja at 6ft 3”, while Zian Flemming has attempted a team-high six headed shots. Both would fancy their chances of adding to their goal tallies with someone like Ward-Prowse supplying the ammunition, not to mention Burnley’s sizeable centre-back line-up that includes Maxime Esteve, Hjalmar Ekdal and Axel Tuanzebe.