JAMES Ward-Prowse feels age is merely a number when it comes to captaincy, as he approaches the end of his first year in the role. At 26, Ward-Prowse is the second youngest captain in the Premier League, behind only Jack Grealish.
Adam Lallana said: “I was 24, I was so naive. I was captain but I didn’t know what captain material was. I was just being myself. It was a little bit of a weight on my shoulders. It took me a year or so to adapt because subconsciously I thought I needed to do more on the pitch when I was captain, whereas you don’t need to do any more. I feel you just need to be yourself and that’s enough. I was trying to do too much and I gradually learned to deal with it and just ignored the armband.”
Asked if he feels age matters when it comes to captaincy,
James Ward-Prowse said: “I think it’s got to go to the right character, for sure. I don’t believe that age matters at all. I think it can be a little bit daunting sometimes if you are young and you’re trying to speak to an older player about certain things because he’s more experienced and he might know a little bit more about you. But I think as a leader you have to trust in your abilities to lead. You’ve been put in that position for a reason and you have to take that responsibility with courage and enjoy the role.”
Ward-Prowse is competing with fellow midfielders Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips and Jude Bellingham for a spot in Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad.
