Southampton hand new contracts to Fraser Forster and James Ward-Prowse
Friday 13 May 2016 13:21, UK
Fraser Forster and James Ward-Prowse have signed new long-term deals at Southampton.
The club recently moved to tie up Virgil van Dijk on new terms, with goalkeeper Forster following suit with a five-year contract, while Ward-Prowse has agreed a new six-year deal.
England international Forster, who is expected to be a part of Roy Hodgson's squad for Euro 2016 this summer, moved to St Mary's from Celtic in 2014.
He was sidelined for nearly nine months after suffering a serious knee injury against Burnley in April 2015 but returned in January this year to re-claim his No 1 spot with some impressive performances, including a run of six straight clean sheets.
"I'm delighted. It's been another good year for the club and I think there's real ambition around the place and it's good to be a part of it, so to commit and sign a new deal is unbelievable and I'm just looking forward to getting started again," Forster told saintsfc.co.uk.
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"Every player wants to keep moving forward in their career and for me especially I'm very ambitious, and I think at this club there is that real ambition and desire to keep moving forward and improve year-in, year-out.
"If you look at just last week with Virgil signing his new deal, that was obviously positive news and after last year and then this year it's obvious things are moving forward and hopefully we can keep doing that in the future.
"Virgil signing last week was huge and for Prowsey to sign as well - such a talented player and such a bright future - shows that the club really want to keep hold of their players and if we can do that and maybe add a couple in the summer we can be very excited about next season.
"For the club, it's a great time for us to sign and I think it's just a great way to end the season. It's been a real positive year for us and for me personally coming back from the injury and the way the club has stood by me and supported me it was a no-brainer for me to commit my future to the club."
Academy graduate Ward-Prowse has made 38 appearances in all competitions this season and his new deal will see him remain with the club until 2022. Now the England U21 captain is keen to develop his game at the club.
"I'm delighted. When I knew I had the chance to extend my stay here it was a no-brainer for me," Ward-Prowse said. "It's pleasing that the club have shown that they have faith in me to extend my stay and I want to repay the faith to the club for putting their time and effort into making me the player I am today.
"It's up to me to work hard again and improve on all aspects of my game and look to continue my development. I want to be the best player I can be for the club and hopefully in this timeframe I can achieve that.
"We've improved year on year and that's a real big thing for a club that only recently got promoted. Now we're looking at making sure we finish in the European places, rather than looking behind us, so it shows how quickly the club's grown in a very short space of time. I think it's an exciting journey that we're on and I think it's going to continue."
