James Ward-Prowse has moved away from the nice guy image, with extra bite and aggression in his game bringing about an upturn in fortunes at Southampton and a return to the England set-up.
Two years on from his one and only senior cap in Germany, the 24-year-old midfielder was brought into the squad on Monday after injuries took their toll on Gareth Southgate's squad.
Eyebrows were raised at Ward-Prowse's initial omission after performing so impressively for Saints, having scored six goals since the turn of the year and improving his all-round game under manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
James Ward-Prowse was called-up by England on Monday as injuries took their toll
The midfielder claims he has moved away from his nice guy image and added bite to his game
Long considered to be a nice, technically-gifted midfielder, the Austrian has made him tackle more and play with aggression and the kind of edge epitomised by his reaction to Wilfried Zaha's sending off in January.
'I think that's pretty summed it up well,' Ward-Prowse said with a smile.
'It is a good thing to be nice but to get to a certain level you have to have that bite and difference and ultimately, I want to play week in, week out and if the manager demands certain things of me, I have to abide by it and change my ways.
'I feel I have benefited as a person and as a player from those changes.'
This England call-up marks quite the turnaround for Ward-Prowse, who was linked to an exit last summer and was struggling for game-time just a matter of months ago.
Ward-Prowse's selection comes two years after he earned his sole cap against Germany
Hasenhuttl has given the Saints midfielder a new lease of life, with the 24-year-old keen to create his own image and 'stamp on things' having long been put up as a model academy
