Ralph Hasenhuttl praises James Ward-Prowse for completing remarkable feat

West Ham’s Declan Rice was the only other top-flight midfielder to manage the feat.

In total, seven outfield players racked up a staggering 3,420 minutes of Premier League action – but just two of them were midfielders.

Given the work Ward-Prowse puts in on the pitch, often running more than any other Saints player, it shows he’s been able to take his game to the next level.

When Hasenhuttl first arrived at St Mary’s the 25-year-old found himself out of the team and considering his future on the south coast.

But that’s all in the past now, with Ward-Prowse becoming the Austrian’s first name on the team sheet.

Speaking about Ward-Prowse’s achievement, Hasenhuttl said: “It’s amazing.

“It is unbelievable - ok as a centre back but more unlikely as a midfielder and in the six position, to play all of the games? Over ninety minutes? In our shape? And to be the guy who always runs the most?

“Yeah! Amazing and fantastic.”

Ward-Prowse’s brilliant season, which saw him score four times in the Premier League, was capped off just before Project Restart.

Hasenhuttl decided to strip Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of the captaincy and hand it to the academy star due to the uncertainty surrounding the Danish international’s future.

Ward-Prowse told the Daily Echo this moment in the season was “a dream come true”, especially since he’s been at St Mary’s since the age of eight.

The key behind the skipper’s success has been his fitness and even Hasenhuttl isn’t sure how he’s managed to stay in tip-top condition throughout the campaign.

He added: “You must ask him what the secret of his condition is because it’s amazing for me also to see him running and to see him fighting and sometimes to see him overtaking players, although he isn’t closer to the guy he is overtaking him.

“He’s just on the jump and goes there.

“It’s absolutely unbelievable how much he invests in every game. This is the reason why he is so important for our team.”