The teenage sister of Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse has praised her brother for his support throughout her battle with alopecia.

Nineteen-year-old Emma Turner was diagnosed with the condition, which results in heavy hair loss, three years ago.

Ward-Prowse, who made his way through Southampton's academy to the senior side over the last few seasons, helped his sibling consider various treatments when she discovered that she had alopecia.

"James is a very protective older brother and he is very sensitive about things," the Daily Mail quotes Emma as saying.

"He is someone that I can always go to. I was feeling really down one day and he told me to come over and he sat with me for hours going through different treatments that I could try."

At 16, Emma was one of the youngest people to be diagnosed with the condition.