Nottingham Forest loanee James Ward-Prowse has admitted that watching Saturday’s match against his parent club West Ham United will feel “strange.”
The midfielder, ineligible to play due to the terms of his loan, joked that he will be “sitting on his hands” as he watches from the stands at the City Ground.
Forest head into the fixture aiming to extend their strong start to the season with a third consecutive Premier League win. In contrast, West Ham have struggled to find consistent form and currently sit 13th in the table, six places below Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
Reflecting on West Ham’s challenging start, Ward-Prowse told BBC Radio Nottingham’s Shut Up And Show More Football podcast,
“The start’s not been the best for them, but it’s still a squad full of Premier League-quality players who can hurt you at any moment. It’s going to be a strange game watching it from a neutral perspective—I’ll be sitting on my hands either way!”
Ward-Prowse joined Forest on loan on transfer deadline day in the summer, and his impact has already been felt, with four appearances under his belt.
However, the 30-year-old missed Forest’s recent 1-0 win over Crystal Palace due to suspension following a red card in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea before the international break. He was an unused substitute for last Friday’s 3-1 victory at Leicester City.
Ahead of the clash with West Ham, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo expressed his satisfaction with Ward-Prowse’s contributions since arriving.
“We are very happy with him. He immediately had a huge impact on the team and helped us,” Nuno stated.
“He settled down well, and although he had the red card against Chelsea, he has been working hard even when he is not involved.”
Nuno added: “He cannot play against West Ham on Saturday, but we are very happy with James. In terms of midfielders, when we have everybody fit and available, it will be good. But for now, he has been very helpful.”
Ward-Prowse’s influence has undoubtedly been a boost for Forest, and while he won’t be on the pitch, his presence and insight from the stands will be valuable as the Reds look to maintain their momentum against the Hammers.