Stephen Ward (soccer player)

Stephen Ward
Stephen Ward (2011) in the shirt of the Irish national team
Personnel
Surname	Stephen Robert Ward
birthday	August 20, 1985
place of birth	Portmarnock ,  Ireland
size	184 cm
position	Left full-back
Men's
Years	station	Games (goals) 1
2003-2007	Bohemians Dublin	93 (24)
2007-2014	Wolverhampton Wanderers	222 0(9)
2013-2014	→  Brighton & Hove Albion  (loan)	44 0(4)
2014-2019	Burnley FC	101 0(3)
2019–	Stoke City	2 0(0)
National team
Years	selection	Games (goals)
2011-2018	Ireland	50 0(3)
1 Only league games are given. As of October 6, 2019

Stephen Robert Ward (born August 20, 1985 in Portmarnock ) is an Irish football player . The former U-21 international of his country began his career as a center and left winger ; after that he was found more often in left midfield or on the full-back position .

Club career

Stephen Ward, who was born in Portmarnock not far from Dublin, began his professional career at the capital club Bohemians Dublin . Already on his debut on August 15, 2003, the young striker scored two goals in the FAI Cup against Skerries Town. In the same month, the former student international made his debut for the Irish U-19 team and scored his first three goals in a European Championship qualifier against San Marino. A short time later, the only 18-year-old talent received his first appointments to the U-21 national team and made his debut against Poland in April 2004 . With the "Bohs" he quickly established himself in the regular formation and showed his versatility early on. After his initial leading role as a center forward with a strong header, he moved to the left wing position under the new player- coach Gareth Farrelly .

His achievements did not go undetected in England either, and so Mick McCarthy asked him to try out at Sunderland AFC . There was no contract for the time being and Ward returned to Ireland. Half a year after his "discoverer" had meanwhile hired at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the second-rate Football League Championship , McCarthy then signed him in January 2007. According to press information, the highest transfer fee had been paid for a player from the top Irish league, although those involved Clubs had agreed not to disclose the exact amount. With three goals in the first six championship games Ward introduced himself well to the new environment and in February 2007 he won the award for the best second division player of the month ("Championship Player of the Month"). He completed all remaining games of the season, at the end of which the "Wolves" moved into the play-off games.

In the 2007/08 season Ward moved back to the left midfield position as in Dublin. He replaced the injured Matt Jarvis , but then missed the last three months of the season due to a persistent knee injury. In the promotion season 2008/09 decided coach McCarthy because of the injury of George Elokobi to an experiment on the left side of the defense, especially since the later replacement of Matt Hill was not yet in "dry cloths". As early as his debut in January 2007, Ward had helped out on the left full-back position and saved Wolves, who had been decimated to nine players against Norwich City, the 1-0 win. With constant performances as a left-back, he finally consolidated his reputation as an "all-round player".

In August 2014 Ward moved to the Premier League newly promoted Burnley FC and signed a three-year contract there. Due to an injury, the newcomer only played ten competitive games in the first 2014/15 season; in addition came the descent into the second class. In the following three years, however, he gradually developed a regular place when, after the renewed promotion in the following two years until 2018, he ensured the respective relegation with the club, with eighth place in the 2017/18 season with Burnley for qualified for the Europa League. In the following season 2018/19 he lost his regular seat to Charlie Taylor and in March 2019 it was announced that Ward would leave Burnley at the end of his contract term.

At the end of June 2019, Ward signed a new one-year contract with second division side Stoke City .

Career in the national team

Ward has been a member of the Irish national football team since 2011 and participated in Euro 2012 .

At the European Football Championship in France in 2016 , he was included in Ireland's squad. In the first game of the tournament he stayed outside, then he played all other games for the full playing time. In the second round, the team was eliminated by the hosts.

Web links

• Stephen Ward at Burnley FC
• Stephen Ward in the database of weltfussball.de
• Stephen Ward in the database of National-Football-Teams.com (English)
• Stephen Ward in the soccerbase.com database
• Stephen Ward , player profile at the Irish Football Association (engl.)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ "Stephen Ward" ( Memento of the original from November 19, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (www.shelbournefc.ie) 
2. ↑ "Ward is eyeing a new role" (Express & Star)
3. ^ "Ward will always be grateful to Mick" (Express & Star)
4. ^ "Stephen Ward leaves Wolves for Burnley" (Express & Star)
5. ↑ Stephen Ward will leave Burnley when his contract expires (Lancashire Telegraph)
6. ↑ Ward Becomes Latest New Arrival (Stoke City FC)