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West Ham United manager David Moyes was full of praise for summer signing James Ward-Prowse. Speaking after the Hammers' win over Serbian side Bakca Topola midweek in the Europa League, Moyes likened the 28-year-old to Premier League greats Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
Comparing his impact to Declan Rice, who left in a big money move for Arsenal, he said (via Football365):
“I always thought from the start he would be ideal – I would never use the word replacement because I don’t think you can replace Declan with one player – but James has given us another dimension,” said Moyes.
“He’s played well. He’s added goals and assists. The top-scoring midfield players – maybe Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, I would go back longer to people like John Wark – and James might not get as many goals as them but he might get more assists than them so what he’s doing is really good for us.
West Ham scored twice from corners in their Europa League win. Moyes had this to say regarding Ward-Prowse's dead-ball ability:
“His delivery has been excellent over the last few years. We’ve been a decent side from set-pieces, maybe without the word ‘specialist’ delivery, and I think we’ve got a specialist now in Ward-Prowse.
“We need to get more free-kicks and more corners. He’s made big contributions in all the games. It’s been an amazing start really.
“I remember people asking the question after one or two games and it’s now five or six games and we’re still saying the same thing about him making a great contribution.”
The Hammers have had a strong start to their Premier League campaign, winning three of their first four before suffering their first loss of the season to Manchester City. They will face Liverpool tomorrow (24 September) away at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp full of praise for West Ham star ahead of Premier League clash
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp lavished praise on West Ham United midfielder James Ward-Prowse, labelling him as one of the best signings of the summer. The German, speaking ahead of the two teams' matchup, claimed the Hammers were a tough opponent.
He said (via pre-match press conference captured by the BBC):
“So many extremely strong opponents and West Ham are one of them. It’s a really exciting project and I am really happy for David [Moyes]. Even with Declan Rice out they look really good. [James] Ward-Prowse was a super signing, and [Lucas] Paqueta is not a new signing but he is a super player.”
Ward-Prowse was a constant presence in midfield for Southampton. However, the Saints' relegation from the Premier League meant the 28-year-old was looking to return to the top flight. Moyes' side paid £30 million to secure his services.
He has started the campaign brilliantly for West Ham. He has bagged two goals and five assists in just five games and his set-piece threat has been instrumental in the Hammers' success.
