Ward-Prowse worried about Pochettino exit

Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse is worried about the possibility of manager Mauricio Pochettino leaving the club.

The former Argentina international has attracted significant plaudits for his eye-catching brand of football and man-management skills since joining Southampton in January 2013.

Pochettino has also pleased supporters for continuing to nurture numerous young English players from the club’s own academy, following in the footsteps of former coach Nigel Adkins.

The 42-year-old’s hiring initially received mixed reactions due to the combination of Adkins’ back-to-back promotions and Pochettino enduring a troubling final four months of 2012 with La Liga side Espanyol.

Pochettino quickly won over the St. Mary’s faithful, though, and with Tottenham reportedly eyeing him for their vacant head coach role, Ward-Prowse is concerned the Argentine may seek a move.

“There has been a lot of talk about that (Pochettino leaving),” he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports. “It would be a major blow to lose him – all the players love him.

“He has played me out of position on the right, so I’ve had to adapt. I’ve had to work on my game going forward – an area I needed to improve.

“Having done that, he has added another string to my bow. I feel I can now play in a number of different positions but he has not only helped me technically, he’s helped me physically.

“I’m the fittest I’ve ever been in terms of the running he makes us do. We do two or three gym sessions a week that involve a lot of running and running with resistance.

“He demands a lot from us, and it is hard work, but it has been proved to work. None of us want to see him go. He is a fantastic manager and he has done really well.”