'I got a phone call' - Matt Le Tissier's role in Southampton's James Ward-Prowse transfer | OneFootball

Matt Le Tissier lifts the lid on his involvement in James Ward-Prowse's Southampton return and discusses his impact on the squad

Former Southampton striker and Saints legend Matt Le Tissier admits it has been "brilliant" to see James Ward-Prowse back at St Mary's, after the academy graduate made his return to the club in the summer.

Not many players can say they made over 500 appearances for one club. Le Tissier can, as he made 540 bows for Southampton, spending his entire professional career at St Mary's.

Ward-Prowse is 124 behind, but would be a lot closer if not for the three years he spent away from the club following their relegation from the top flight back in 2023.

It was always going to be a struggle to keep a then 28-year-old Ward-Prowse in the Championship, and West Ham United were the side to ensure his career in the Premier League continued, paying a fee in the region of £30 million.

Three years later, after a couple of years in the wilderness at West Ham, the 31-year-old returned to the club in a deal worth under £1 million, much to the delight of Southampton fans and Le Tissier himself.

Matt Le Tissier discusses involvement in James Ward-Prowse, Southampton return video

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There arguably haven't been more influential players at Southampton since the 1990s than Le Tissier and Ward-Prowse, and the Saints made sure to get the club legend and advisor to the board involved in the 31-year-old's return.

The 57-year-old featured in the announcement video, centred around playing golf — a nod to Ward-Prowse's celebration, which Southampton fans got acquainted with pretty quickly towards the end of his first tenure at the club.

Ironically, Le Tissier had booked himself on the golf course on the day of the filming, but luckily, he had some time before to help the club with the announcement.

"It was a quick turnaround," he told the Daily Echo. "I got a phone call on the Thursday lunchtime from the club asking, ‘Can you get to Royal Winchester Golf Course at 7:30 tomorrow morning?’

"As it turned out, I was playing golf that day but not until nearly midday, so I said I had a couple of hours in the morning and I could. They went, ‘Great, Prowsey’s signing. We want you to do the video with him’. I thought, ‘that’s cool’.

"It’s brilliant to see him back. That sort of quality in the Championship will make a hell of a difference to our midfield."

Matt Le Tissier believes James Ward-Prowse will be a perfect midfield general in the Championship

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Le Tissier went on to say that, at 31, Ward-Prowse could provide some vital experience to the squad.

Southampton don't have the youngest average age in the division — far from it — but they do have some bright young midfielders who could learn from him, the likes of Cameron Bragg (21), Casper Jander (23) and academy man Romeo Akachukwu (20).

"I think when you see him in the games, he just marshals that centre of the pitch really well. He hardly gives the ball away. I think he’s a great influence for the younger lads as well," Le Tissier continued.

"I think it [seniority] is important. To have somebody in that central midfield role who’s got the experience that he’s got, and of course coming back to the club. The fans obviously adored him here. He was whipping those free-kicks over the wall on a regular basis.

"Obviously, it hasn’t really happened for him since he left. I’m hoping that he can start knocking them in again now he’s back at St Mary’s. He’s also got Ryan Manning to contend with because he’s scored some decent free-kicks as well."

Ward-Prowse has wasted no time in getting settled back into life at St Mary's, starting each of the last four games and scoring his first goal for the club since May 2023 in their most recent win against Wrexham.

James Ward-Prowse is looking to write another chapter in his legendary Southampton career this season

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Ward-Prowse wasn't actually involved in the work done under Nigel Adkins to get the club back into the Premier League in 2012, but it wasn't long before he'd become a regular fixture in the Saints squad in the top flight.

The 31-year-old was the poster boy of Southampton's 11-year stay in the Premier League between 2012 and 2023. While the likes of Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Morgan Schneiderlin, Sadio Mané, and more moved on to "bigger" clubs, Ward-Prowse stayed.

He captained the club for three years before he moved on to West Ham, and while Southampton did eventually succumb to relegation, no Saints fan was pointing the finger at the midfielder.

After two seasons on the fringes of the action at the London Stadium and being sent out on loan a couple of times, too, Ward-Prowse is looking for his own career resurgence.