James Ward-Prowse has got the England call-up his stunning form deserved.
Ward-Prowse, 24, has scored six goals in his last nine Premier League games for Southampton and Gareth Southgate called him up the Three Lions squad on Monday after a trio of players had to pull out through injury.
The Southampton midfielder has only been called up by England on one previous occasion, as he won his one and only cap in a friendly against Germany in March 2017.
Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and John Stones have all pulled out of the squad due to injury. England play against the Czech Republic at Wembley Stadium on Friday and at Montenegro on Monday.
Ward-Prowse is a favorite of England boss Southgate, as he was his captain for many years for the England U21 side. The central midfielder has been rejuvenated by new Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, as JWP has added an extra bite and aggression to his game. Playing him in central midfield rather than out on the wing has also been a shrewd move by Hasenhuttl and has coincided in a big upturn in results for Saints.
The Saints academy product is one of the best set-piece takers, if not the best, in the Premier League and his two stunning free kick goals against Manchester United and Tottenham in back-to-back games before the international break showcased his ability.
Getting into the England team ahead of the likes of Dele Alli, Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho in the attacking midfielder areas will be tough, but Ward-Prowse and Declan Rice will certainly push the likes of Jordan Henderson, Eric Dier and Ross Barkley for starting spots in the slightly deeper central midfield roles.
This is a deserved call up for Ward-Prowse, who is in the best form of his career.