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England star chasing Beckham’s record scores stunning free-kick for U21s
SIR DAVID BECKHAM’S free-kick record could be at risk with an England star tipped to make his long-awaited return to first-team football.
James Ward-Prowse‘s free-kick for Burnley U21s has shown he’s still a set-piece specialist.
The 31-year-old though has been starved of opportunities to show it.
He was forced to the fringes of the West Ham team after Nuno Espirito Santo replaced Graham Potter as Hammers boss.
But now, Burnley manager Scott Parker has revived his chances of adding to his free-kick haul by signing him on loan until the end of the season.
And Parker has backed Ward-Prowse to break a major record too.
Beckham currently holds the Premier League record of 18 goals scored directly from free-kicks.
Ward-Prowse has netted 17 in the top flight – only one fewer than the Manchester United legend.
And he’s already strides ahead of the likes of Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer.
Parker told ESPN that he is an “absolute expert”.
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He added: “Let’s hope he breaks that!
“I think we’ve seen it over many, many years – in and around the edge of the box, his delivery from wide areas, corners as well, it’s an absolutely huge, huge threat.
“His quality in and around the edge of the box, to get a ball up and down at speed, to beat keepers.
“It’s probably world-class really in terms of the set-piece.
“Hopefully he can break that record with us because it would mean one has gone in!”
In the video from the U21s game, Ward-Prowse angled himself perfectly and locked his eyes on the target.
He fired the ball with his right foot over the wall to beat the goalkeeper to the near post.
Three years after his £30million move to West Ham from Southampton, it almost seemed as if his talent was going to go to waste.
But that could be about to change.