Is James Ward-Prowse the best free-kick taker in Premier League history?

James Ward Prowse has go truthful deadly from free-kick situations, that commentators volition often half-joke that giving Southampton a free-kick anyplace astir the punishment country is worse than giving distant a punishment for the opposition.

True to form, the English midfielder netted his 14th free-kick successful the Premier League arsenic helium helped his broadside combat backmost from 2-0 down against Brighton astatine the weekend, and has antecedently claimed that the lone crushed that helium wants to go a dead-ball specializer is to conscionable his idol David Beckham.

And the English top-flight has had immoderate superb set-piece takers since it was reformed successful 1992, with the aforementioned Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Gianfranco Zola each much than capable to find the backmost of the nett erstwhile fixed the opportunity.

But conscionable however acold distant is Ward-Prowse from being considered the champion free-kick taker successful Premier League history, oregon tin helium already laic assertion to that title?

Currently, the grounds for astir free-kicks scored is David Beckham, with 18 crossed his 265 Premier League appearances.

Oh however United fans would’ve wished for a infinitesimal similar this past night… 👀pic.twitter.com/vpIlohW1Ac

— FourFourTwo (@FourFourTwo) April 20, 2022

The now-retired Manchester United fable leads Ward-Prowse, whose 14 strikes person travel successful 301 top-flight appearances, with Arsenal fable Thierry Henry, Chelsea cult leader Gianfranco Zola and the seemingly evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo each tied for 3rd spot connected 12.

Of those, CR7 is of people the lone antheral inactive playing and capable to pursuit down the Southampton antheral retired of those successful adjacent proximity to Ward-Prowse, though astatine 37 years aged you would deliberation it would beryllium improbable that helium would beryllium capable to support gait with the antheral a decennary his inferior successful the longer run.

Of course, the sheer fig of free-kicks scored is lone 1 portion of the deal. The proportionality of free-kicks taken that spell successful is besides an important factor, with 18 scored retired of 18 acold much awesome than 18 scored retired of 500.

In that regard, JWP is successful good company, presently sitting 5th successful those rankings but up of immoderate of those who person 12 oregon much free-kick goals. Leading the mode is erstwhile Tottenham and present Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier, who has a conversion complaint of 20% having scored 3 of his 15 nonstop free-kick attempts successful the apical flight.

Behind him sits different seasoned successful the signifier of Juan Mata, whose 8 strikes from a dead-ball concern person travel from 50 attempts. He is past followed by Philippe Coutinho, Nicolas Anelka and Michael Tarnat.

He’s scored with 14% of his escaped kicks. In the Premier League, the champion is Kieran Tripper with 20%, followed by Mata 16% past Anelka, Coutinho & Tarnat with 15% each

*Minimum 15 escaped kicks taken

— Orbinho (@Orbinho) April 27, 2022

And, this means that Ward-Prowse has scored his 14 escaped kicks from 100 attempts truthful far, which is simply a superb effort each things considered.

Should helium overtake Beckham, helium volition person to beryllium considered the champion Free-kick taker the League has ever seen, oregon astatine the precise slightest the astir consistent.