CAPTAIN James Ward-Prowse is the 2021-22 winner of the Southern Daily Echo Player of the Year award – as voted by you.
The 27-year-old England international becomes the first to win the award in back-to-back seasons since Matt Le Tissier in 1995.
Saints academy graduate Ward-Prowse is only the seventh player to win the award twice, since its inaugural winner – Mick Channon – was crowned in 1974.
Rickie Lambert, James Beattie, José Fonte, Le Tissier – a three-time winner – Tim Flowers and Peter Shilton have all won the award on more than one occasion.
Ward-Prowse picked up 55 per cent of the vote and was the clear leader, with Kyle Walker-Peters coming in second with 23 per cent.
Close pal of Ward-Prowse, Fraser Forster, came in third with 7 per cent of the vote.
Despite defeat, Ward-Prowse scored his 10th goal of the Premier League season at Leicester City. The midfielder had targeted this landmark achievement, reaching it on the final day of the season.
He featured in all but three of Saints’ 45 matches across all competitions this campaign. Ward-Prowse is credited with scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists.
The club captain completed a clean sweep of Players’ Player and Fan’s Player of the Year as well as Goal of the Season at the St Mary’s awards night this month.
He was also nominated among an eight-man shortlist for the Premier League's official Player of the Year award - won by Kevin De Bruyne.
Ward-Prowse is now targeting a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming 2022 Wolrd Cup in Qatar, taking place in winter this year.
Echo player of the year roll of honour:
73–74 Mick Channon, 74–75 Mel Blyth, 75–76 David Peach, 76–77 Steve Williams, 77–78 Alan Ball, 78–79 Malcolm Waldron, 79–80 Phil Boyer, 80–81 Ivan Golac, 81–82 Kevin Keegan, 82–83 Mark Wright, 83–84 David Armstrong, 84–85 Peter Shilton, 85–86 Peter Shilton, 86–87 Glenn Cockerill, 87–88 Derek Statham, 88–89 Jimmy Case, 89–90 Matthew Le Tissier, 90–91 Alan Shearer, 91–92 Tim Flowers, 92–93 Tim Flowers, 93–94 Matthew Le Tissier, 94–95 Matthew Le Tissier, 95–96 Dave Beasant, 96–97 Egil Østenstad, 97–98 Paul Jones, 98–99 James Beattie, 99–00 Dean Richards, 00–01 Wayne Bridge, 01–02 Chris Marsden, 02–03 James Beattie, 03–04 Antti Niemi, 04–05 Peter Crouch, 05–06 Claus Lundekvam, 06–07 Chris Baird, 07–08 Andrew Davies, 08–09 Kelvin Davis, 09–10 Rickie Lambert, 10–11 José Fonte, 11–12 Rickie Lambert, 12–13 Morgan Schneiderlin, 13–14 Adam Lallana, 14–15 José Fonte, 15-16 Shane Long, 16-17 Oriol Romeu, 17-18 Alex McCarthy, 18-19 Nathan Redmond, 19-20 – Danny Ings, 20-21 – James Ward-Prowse, 21-22 - James Ward-Prowse.
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