JAMES Ward-Prowse said it would be an “incredible achievement” for Saints to win silverware – having once bumped into the man who delivered major honours to The Dell.

The Saints midfielder confirmed how he was once having dinner in a pub in the New Forest when he met 1976 FA Cup-winning manager Lawrie McMenemy, as well as former Saints striker Kevin Keegan.

England international Ward-Prowse had a chat with the iconic duo – and admitted it would be great for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s troops to recreate the events of McMenemy’s famous side.

Quizzed on what it was like to bump into both McMenemy and Keegan, the latter having signed for Saints in 1980 after they won the cup, Ward-Prowse told the Daily Echo: “It was strange. I think when you go out for dinner, you don’t really expect to bump into anyone.

“To see two icons and two legends like that, sat there, it was quite daunting in a way but pretty special at the same time. It was just a special moment in time.

“I think someone like Lawrie is obviously an incredible icon for this club and achieved so much.

“Even though it was before I was born, you see the images and the footage from then.

“It would be great to recreate that now and to put our names down in history and hopefully give the fans something to cheer about in the midst of what has been a really, really difficult few years for everybody.”

Saints continue their quest in the FA Cup on Saturday, when they host Championship Coventry City at St Mary’s in the fourth round (3pm).

Asked how much sealing silverware would mean to him, having been with Saints since the age of eight, Ward-Prowse replied: “Yeah, it would be an incredible achievement for sure, to win silverware with this club.

“They have given so much to me and my career in allowing me to fulfil my childhood dream, it would be great to reward the club back in a way of winning silverware.”

Hasenhuttl’s side made the last four of the FA Cup last campaign, before exiting at Wembley in a tame 1-0 defeat to eventual winners Leicester City.

“I think last season we were disappointed because the semi-final just seemed to peter out and we didn’t really, you know, give it a proper go,” said Ward-Prowse.

“We came off the pitch feeling like we could have given more and we don’t want that feeling to happen again.

“We want to make sure we make amends for that and I feel as though we’ve got a good opportunity to do so.”