West Ham United fan favourite Teddy Sheringham has praised the Irons’ pursuit of James Ward-Prowse in a recent interview with Lord Ping.

He says that the Southampton academy graduate could fill the leadership void left by the outgoing Declan Rice – additionally, he also suggested that Ward-Prowse should be named as the new Hammers captain.

Moreover, Sheringham also gave his views on how he believes West Ham will perform in the 2023/24 season. He has backed both Danny Ings and Michail Antonio to have strong campaigns, calling them ‘fantastic players’.

What did Teddy Sheringham have to say about James Ward-Prowse?

On Ward-Prowse, Sheringham said: “I have been surprised by the time it has taken to invest the Declan Rice transfer fee into the squad. I like the players that West Ham have been linked with. Ward-Prowse is an excellent player and is a fantastic signing and I think Maguire represents the same for West Ham, if they can get it over the line.

“It’s very difficult for players to go straight into a new football club and assume the role of a leader immediately or potentially to be appointed a captain, because we know that Moyes hasn’t announced his permanent captain yet. That won’t be an issue with James Ward-Prowse.”

What did Sheringham say regarding the other West Ham transfer targets?

Regarding the potential signing of Scott McTominay, he said: “Scott McTominay would be an ideal signing for David Moyes. McTominay is the epitome of what Moyes likes in his players: very solid, he’s a good runner with plenty of energy and, as he has done for Scotland, he can score goals.”

How does Sheringham think the Hammers will perform this season?

Sheringham glowed when asked about Michail Antonio and Danny Ings: “I like the players that West Ham have. I think Antonio and Ings are good forwards, both fantastic players in their own right. I think they would score goals in any team in the Premier League but the bigger issue at West Ham is the style of play.

“We know that David Moyes likes to play a cautious brand of football – very stable. He needs to find the solutions that can unlock the goalscoring talents of Antonio, Ings, and Bowen, but it’s not easy to do that without it impacting other areas of his team.”