James Ward-Prowse on transfer interest and signing contract

The Saints skipper was linked with a move away to Aston Villa all summer after the club rejected transfer interest from the Premier League rivals.

The noise came during a summer which had seen an exodus of first team players and the old guard, with Ryan Bertrand, Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard all eventually making transfer exits.

This left fans feeling anxious that the 26-year-old might also join some of his teammates out the door, after a particularly impressive individual season that saw eight goals and eight assists harboured but still no England place in the European Championship squad.

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All the chat came despite the midfield ace having four years left on his current deal at the time, signing a five-year deal almost exactly a year prior in August 2020 too.

Quizzed about whether all the talk could be overwhelming for the ever-present captain, Ward-Prowse admitted to the Daily Echo: “Yeah potentially, like I said it was the first time I had to face it.

“I was also coming back from a knee injury,” Ward-Prowse added, “so I had a few obstacles in the way and during an important part of the season with pre-season, trying to build up my fitness and that capacity up was difficult.

James Ward-Prowse has made 101 consecutive Premier League appearances for Saints (Pic: Stuart Martin)

“It has been a bit stop-starty but I’m just trying to find that rhythm and consistency now.”

He continued: “It was the first time I’ve faced that kind of speculation so it was a different challenge to face, but when I sat down and spoke with the club it was immediately obvious that they were keen for everything to be sorted out.

“That was a no-brainer for me to stay here and to be part of this club is really special, I’m pleased and really proud to continue this journey.”

Ward-Prowse had received a bit of critical acclaim in part for his danger from set-piece scenarios, regularly touted as one of the best free-kick takers in the country.

The skipper opened his account for the season from the spot at Newcastle (Pic: PA)

As a youngster, the skipper always idolised the likes of David Beckham and would spend hours in his garden practicing the scenarios, imitating his heroes.

Now, he’s a hero of his own to Saints, having made over 300 first team appearances since graduation from the academy and making his debut age 16 back in October 2011.

Asked if putting the minds of supporters at ease was a motivation for his decision, he added: “That was definitely a benefit from it.

“I think when I sat down and spoke with the club and they relayed to me their intentions and ambition of what they wanted to try and achieve with this team it was a no-brainer to do and to put everything to bed.”