James Ward-Prowse insists the best way for Saints’ young stars to ensure they graduate to the senior England team is to stay focussed on impressing for their club rather than their country.

National team manager Roy Hodgson mentioned the midfielder and his teammate Luke Shaw when he unveiled his latest squad, highlighting both as “outstanding individuals”.

While the duo remain with the under-21s for now, it seems they have both been earmarked for the senior side at some stage in the future.

Ward-Prowse was delighted to hear of Hodgson’s remarks about him, but explained he cannot get carried away and must continue to focus on improving and playing well for Saints if he is to make the next jump.

“It is nice to be recognised at that sort of level,” he said of the England manager’s words.

“It is important, in order to get there, to keep focusing on what we are doing at the club.”

Ward-Prowse is one of many promising international products to have emerged from the Saints academy over the years.

He has been inspired from seeing another of those players, captain Adam Lallana, earn a place in the senior England side.

“He has come through the same system as me,” said the 19-year-old.

“It is nice to be involved with someone like him and I am sure that hopefully I can follow his path.”

Ward-Prowse is set to line-up for the under-21s tomorrow night when they host Finland in a Euro 2015 qualifier at stadium:mk.

England have taken ten points from their opening four games, with their only setback being a 1-1 draw away to Finland.

Gareth Southgate’s side, who top their group, will then play San Marino, in another qualifier, next Tuesday, at Shrewsbury.

Saints’ start to the season has certainly caught the eye of many people, with the team having risen to third place in the Premier League table going into the latest international break.

When quizzed about their ambitions, manager Mauricio Pochettino has consistently said the “sky is the limit” for the club, and that is a sentiment shared by Ward-Prowse.

“Mauricio’s thoughts are exactly the same as ours,” he said.

“We get more confident day by day and we believe we can reach the top, it is just a case of putting in the hard work off the pitch and on it.

“I am sure we can hit the sky.”