James Ward-Prowse taking "every ounce of knowledge" from England chance

His eagerness to listen and absorb advice has seen the 22-year-old accelerate further in his career than many of his age.

Saints boss Claude Puel recently praised the England new boy’s attitude – even labelling him the perfect son in law.

Puel added that Ward-Prowse “makes progress because he listens”, he’s an intelligent player, the St Mary’s chief concluded.

And as the down to earth Staplewood Academy graduate explains, ahead of a potential Three Lions debut against world champions Germany tonight in Dortmund, he sees his England chance as an opportunity to listen, learn and develop more.

Even as a tyro, Ward-Prowse was eager to investigate different ways of learning, even going beyond the comfort zone of the surroundings of Saints’ academy.

As a teenager the Portsmouth-born midfielder headed out to Hampshire non-league side Havant & Waterlooville, citing an opportunity to toughen up during training sessions with grizzled semi-pros.

Ward-Prowse believes that experience helped him become a man quicker than most, and his latest milestone with the national team certainly suggests maturity beyond his 22 years.

England’s more seasoned players should, then, expect the Saints man to be asking a few questions on the fields of St George’s Park, the national team’s training headquarters.

“I’m going to use it to benefit me as a player and increase my knowledge of the game,” Ward-Prowse says about his England call.

“I can’t wait to draw on every ounce of knowledge from other players who have been in the group before to help me as a player.”

It is not just a willingness to listen that has aided Ward-Prowse’s development, because he’s also been programmed with an insatiable desire for progress since a young age.

He is incredibly ambitious.

Saints posted a video on social media of a fresh-faced 13-year-old Ward-Prowse talking about his goals for the future.

Along with telling us that his favourite subject at school was geography, he also laid down with gusto that his target long-term was to play for England.

At that point in his fledgling career it was nothing but a pipe dream, but his hard work and perseverance has now all paid off.

“There was a little bit of embarrassment (when Saints posted the video) but that’s what has moulded me as a young player,” he said.

“The ambition was clear from a young age.”

“I think it’s every young player’s dream to play for England,” he added.

“To be given that opportunity and chance to represent your country and do everyone proud is a great honour.

“Should the chance come this week, I’ll be ready to take it.”

It was clear on Ward-Prowse’s arrival at St George’s on Monday the bond he has with new England boss Gareth Southgate.

The pair shared a warm handshake and there was some chit chat about his goal at Tottenham on Sunday.

When talking to Ward-Prowse it is clear the affection he has for Southgate – the man who gave him his under-21s chance in 2013 and later the captaincy of his Young Lions side.

It seems the boss, who is taking charge of his first game as permanent manager tonight, is a big advocate of bringing through youth – especially when they are well known in the England set-up.

“Obviously having worked with Gareth before, he’s made it clear to us in the 21s that there is that pathway there to the senior team,” Ward-Prowse said.

“It is a positive thing not only for myself and Nathan, but throughout the squad - the likes of Raheem, John Stones, Ross Barkley.

“They are players that have also come through as well, so it is a positive that if you are doing well at a young age you’ll get a chance.”

Ward-Prowse knew at the beginning of the season that he wanted to try and make another step up.

Having been still fairly inexperienced under Mauricio Pochettino, the midfielder was not really a key component of the Argentine’s high-pressing Saints side.

But then, following the high volume of departures from St Mary’s in the summer of 2014 - including Pochettino's exit to Tottenham, it was expected that Ward-Prowse would come to the fore and force his way into the side.

However, Ronald Koeman never entrusted him with a prominent role, which led to two seasons of wondering whether or not he would ever make a full breakthrough to become a regular starter on the south coast.

That has all started to change now, though.

Puel has handed Ward-Prowse a place in his first 11 – he has started the last five games, including an impressive performance in the EFL Cup final at Wembley recently. He knew if he could get a run in the team and keep “plugging away” recognition on the international stage would not be far away.

“I mean, I think you know yourself as a player the level you’re playing at. You always want to do well for your club,” he said.

“If you get the recognition that’s great, but that’s the target you’re always plugging away at.

“If I am able to continue good form at Southampton then that call will eventually come and thankfully it did.”

He has played 34 times under Puel during “a whirlwind season”.

“At the start of the season I wanted to make sure that I made the most of it and made sure that I took a step up,” he said.

“I feel like I have done that so far but it has been a whirlwind season so far and I am sure there will be a lot of ups and downs to come as well.”

Southgate referred to Ward-Prowse’s display at the national area at the end of February, when Saints lost 3-2 to Manchester United in the EFL Cup final, as one of the main reasons for his call-up.

“It’s obviously an incredibly proud feeling for me,” Ward-Prowse says about the Three Lions selection.

“It was a career ambition to reach the senior squad. It is an ambition I’ve had a for a very long time.

“I’ve been working very hard at achieving this and it is great to obviously to get that little bit of recognition.”

Ward-Prowse is hoping to convert that “little bit of recognition” into a regular place in the England team, who he feels has a bright future under Southgate.

He’ll be hoping to impress tonight in the friendly against the Germans at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.

“I think very exciting,” he said, when asked what future England have under the new boss.

“For me stepping into the senior team, you only have to look around at the wealth of experience that we’ve got, the young players coming through and all the quality around the team.

“It is exciting moving forward and hopefully I can be a part of that.”

Southgate gathered his squad together at St George’s before heading off to Germany and gave a talk about his own career.

“It was a very powerful message,” Ward-Prowse explained.

“It is one that the under-21s have received before, which sort of highlighted about the highs and lows of a career and the ambitions that he sees for us.

“And you know, we want to establish ourselves as a top team in the world.

“So it is all about plugging away at those goals and making sure that what we do now stands us in good stead for when we reach major tournaments.”

Ward-Prowse has hailed former under-21s boss Southgate’s devotion to youth.

“I think obviously from a young players’ perspective, he gives young players a chance which is great,” he said.

“He is a very proud and passionate Englishman, who wants to see us do well. I couldn’t think of anyone better to fulfill the role.

“He lets us play with freedom, he wants you to express yourself.”

One of the talking points of last summer’s miserable Euro 2016 campaign, which ended in humiliating defeat to lowly Iceland in the last 16 in France, was the lack of leadership within the England set-up.

Ward-Prowse, who sees himself as a leader after captaining the under-21s, believes Southgate will implement a similar system to the one he had with the Young Lions, which asks the players to take more responsibility.

“I think from my experience in the under-21s, we had a mini-leadership group within the team,” he said.

“The idea was not only to have one captain but sort of four, five, six main leaders within a team.

“Certainly looking around the players that are at the minute, we have definitely have got that and more.

“I think in high-pressure moments it’s about those leaders on the pitch taking responsibility and I think that’s something that he will try to implement as his time increases with the squad.”

And, in a slight hark back to that video filmed almost ten years ago, Ward-Prowse laid down some long-term targets, but this time as a fully fledged England international rather than an excited youth dreaming of the future.

“We want to be the best in the world,” he said.

“If you want to win major tournaments, then you’ve got to become that sort of team.

“We want to make sure we give ourselves a chance to succeed.”