Midfielder James Ward-Prowse is ready to serve up success at West Ham United after returning from a summer break which saw him whip up some treats in the kitchen.
The 29-year-old was among the Hammers’ first-team stars back at Rush Green for the start of pre-season training on Wednesday, which offered him a first opportunity to meet new head coach Julen Lopetegui.
After netting seven goals in 51 appearances during an impressive first term in east London, following his move from Southampton, Ward-Prowse is pleased to back at work ahead of a return to action.
“I had a really nice time off, but it’s always good to come back ready for a new season,” he said. “It’s gone quickly, but I had a couple of holidays here and there and managed to spend some quality time with my family.
“I’ve been able to play some golf, which has been nice because there wasn’t much time to get out on the course with the amount of games we had last season. I’ve also enjoyed trying my hand in the kitchen a little bit.
“I always turn into a bit of chef in the off-season, because food and diet is so important in this day and age and I like to have a go. I didn’t make anything overly complicated - I made some Caprese salads which is about as good as it got!”
While getting to know Lopetegui and the rest of his coaching staff, as well as recent first-team arrivals Wes Foderingham and Luis Guilherme, Ward-Prowse enjoyed a return to the grass on the first day of pre-season, following a multitude of fitness tests.
He continued: “I try to keep myself in decent shape over the summer - gone are the days when you can let yourself go with the demands of the Premier League now!
“The first day invariably involves fitness tests, and we’ve done some of that to kick us off. It’s the start of a lot of hard work, but the hope is that gets us ready for the new season and sustains us for its entirety.
“It’s always exciting when there’s a new head coach in the building. Everyone starts with a clean slate, so there’s an opportunity for everyone to show him what they can do. It was great to meet him, and from day one it’s clear he’s going to demand high standards on and off the pitch, which I think can only be a positive thing.”
Relationships with new members of coaching and playing staff will naturally grow while the team step up their training ahead of the Sunshine State Tour to Florida, where West Ham will take on Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace.
While the Betway Cup clash against La Liga side Celta Vigo on 10 August is set to mark the team’s return to London Stadium, the ultimate goal is a positive result and performance in the Premier League opener at home to Aston Villa a week later, and Ward-Prowse is clear that fixture is already in the back of his mind.
He added: “I’m really excited for the two trips we’ve got coming up. It’ll be good to get away somewhere new, to put in some hard work and to enjoy being around the group.
“I went to the States once with Southampton, so I’m looking forward to being back out there. It’s going to be hot and we’ve got some high-quality games lined up, so it should be good.
“Ultimately, from day one we’re gearing up for the Aston Villa game and beyond. Every training session we do has a purpose and a meaning to it, and we’ve got to get used to that because time is going to go quickly and it will come around before we know it. It’s exciting.”
