Ranked! The five best James Ward Prowse free-kick goals

James Ward-Prowse has become one of the greatest free-kick takers ever, his technique consistently ensuring he hits the target, and, more often than not, finds the back of the net. 

With 17 free-kick goals in the Premier League during his career, the Southampton man is just one away from matching David Beckham's initially insurmountable tally of 18 strikes. 

“It's good for me to know that with any skill in life, if you work hard for it, you can perfect it,” Ward-Prowse told BBC Match of the Day. "When I was a kid doing this [practicing free-kicks] in my parents' garden, this was what I dreamed to do."

He's become quite good at it, too, by all accounts. But there are always going to be some better than others, and FourFourTwo have picked out the five standouts strikes from Ward-Prowse's catalogue.

5. Fulham (A), 2022/23

For most players, standing with the ball 28 yards from goal and in a central position is much too far to contemplate scoring a free-kick. But James Ward-Prowse isn't any old player. 

Performing his now-iconic run up, Ward-Prowse smacks the ball at Bernd Leno's goal, whipping the ball over and around the wall to ensure the German 'keeper had no chance of reaching it, no matter how outstretched his arms were.

What makes this goal arguably even better is the perfectly executed knee slide afterwards - he just keeps going and going. Truly sensational stuff all round. 

4. Manchester United (A), 2018/19

Beating a goalkeeper of David De Gea's quality from 25 yards is certainly not something to be sniffed at, and Ward-Prowse's goal at Old Trafford is all the more impressive by the size of the wall he has to evade.

Giants such as Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Scott McTominay and Chris Smalling are all stood in the way of Ward-Prowse and the United goal. No bother. He just stepped up and smashed it straight into the top corner. De Gea had no chance. 

This was one of his earlier efforts, too, giving us all a taste of what was to come over the forthcoming years. 

3. Tottenham (H), 2018/19

Standing almost side-on to the ball, Ward-Prowse has to twist his hips in a way even Shakira would be proud of when taking this free-kick. 

Setting it straight at Hugo Lloris in net, the midfielder adds so much curl to this strike it moves multiple yards to the left while in the air, away from the claws of Lloris and straight into the top corner. 

Maybe the Cristiano Ronaldo Siu celebration could have been left at home, though, James? Just a thought.

2. Newcastle United (A), 2020/21

That little bit further out than the one he scored against Manchester United, and that little bit more impressive. 

The cleanest of all his curled free-kick goals, this strike just arrows towards the Newcastle net with a lot more venom and power than is usually seen on a Ward-Prowse goal. 

And for good reason, too. The free-kick was off-centre and 30 yards from goal, meaning power was essential in order to beat the goalkeeper. Of course, that posed no problem for Ward-Prowse, who duly delivered once more. 

1. Wolves (A), 2021/22

For all of Ward-Prowse's unerring consistency, for all of the whips of a football we have become accustomed to whenever he takes a free-kick, the Southampton man opted for a completely different change of tact at Molineux in 2022 - and it worked tremendously. 

Stood the best part of 35 yards from goal in a fairly central position, Ward-Prowse simply stuck his laces through the ball. And by simply, we mean knuckleballing it right on the sweet-spot, garnering the perfect strength in the shot to ensure it moved quickly, swerving all the while towards Jose Sa's goal.

Of course, the Portuguese found it impossible to judge the flight of the ball as it flew past him and into the top corner. Simply unstoppable, and the best James Ward-Prowse free-kick goal in the Premier League.