David Beckham has sent a message to James Ward-Prowse encouraging him to break his Premier League free-kick record after the midfielder's latest stunning strike for Southampton.
Ward-Prowse netted twice to earn Southampton a 2-2 draw against Brighton on Sunday, the first of which saw him show off his exceptional dead-ball skills once again.
Four of the England international's 10 Premier League goals in 2021-22 have come from free-kicks and he is closing in on the all-time record currently held by Manchester United legend Beckham.
What has Ward-Prowse said about Beckham's record?
Ward-Prowse has scored a total of 14 free-kicks in the English top flight, two more than Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Gianfranco Zola.
Beckham is the only man to have scored more in the competition's history (18), and Ward-Prowse is hoping to meet a man he idolised in his youth if he ends up reaching the same mark.
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"My main motivation is to meet my hero who I loved when I was growing up," the 27-year-old said after the Brighton draw. "If I do get that record, hopefully he'll reach out - but there's a long way to go just yet."
Beckham responds to Ward-Prowse
Beckham took to social media to respond to Ward-Prowse, and has welcomed the prospect of him going on to equal his record.
"Looking forward to it mate," the former England captain, who is now co-owner of MLS franchise Inter Miami, wrote on Instagram. "Another great one today. 4 more to go."
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