Danny Ward (English footballer)

For the Welsh goalkeeper, see Danny Ward (Welsh footballer). For other people, see Daniel Ward.

Danny Ward

Personal information
Full name	Daniel Carl Ward [1]
Date of birth	(1990-12-09) 9 December 1990 (age 33) [2]
Place of birth	Bradford, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) [2]
Position(s)	Left winger, forward
Team information
Current team	Huddersfield Town
Number	25
Youth career
2005–2007	Leeds United
2007–2009	Bolton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2011	Bolton Wanderers	2	(0)
2009–2010	→ Swindon Town (loan)	30	(9)
2010	→ Coventry City (loan)	5	(0)
2011	→ Huddersfield Town (loan)	7	(3)
2011–2015	Huddersfield Town	117	(16)
2015	→ Rotherham United (loan)	1	(0)
2015–2017	Rotherham United	90	(18)
2017–2020	Cardiff City	60	(12)
2020–	Huddersfield Town	113	(23)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 06:23, 10 April 2024 (UTC)

Daniel Carl Ward (born 9 December 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Championship club Huddersfield Town.

Career

Bolton Wanderers

Ward started his career in the Bradford City youth setup before he was snapped up by West Yorkshire rivals Leeds United, but he turned down a new deal at Leeds to join Premier League side Bolton Wanderers. Leeds received compensation as a result of Ward leaving. Danny made his senior debut for Bolton as a substitute in the club's 0–1 home Premier League defeat to Sunderland on 15 August 2009. ^[3]

On 26 November 2009, he signed for Swindon Town on a one-month loan deal and on 28 December 2009 he scored his first professional goal for Swindon Town in the 46th minute in a 3–1 home win over Yeovil Town.

On 7 September 2010, Ward signed a new three-year contract with Bolton ^[4] and three days later signed on a three-month loan deal with Coventry City. ^[5] He made his debut for them in the home game against Leicester City the day after. The loan was cut short on 15 October as Ward returned to Bolton for an operation on his groin which kept him out of the game until the following March. ^[6]

Huddersfield Town

2010–11 loan

After recovering from his injury, Ward was sent on loan to Football League One side Huddersfield Town on 15 March 2011, for the remainder of the season. ^[7] He made his debut as a substitute in the 1–0 win over Brentford at Griffin Park on the same day. He scored his first goal, which was the winner to make it 3–2, for Huddersfield against Brighton & Hove Albion on 30 April 2011, which also happened to be the last goal scored at the Withdean Stadium, before going on to score twice in the final league game of the season in the 4–4 home draw with Brentford. Ward scored in the League One play-off semi-final second-leg against A.F.C. Bournemouth. The match was 3–3 after 120 minutes, but Huddersfield won on penalties 4–2, which included Ward scoring his, qualifying Huddersfield for the final at Old Trafford where they just came short of promotion losing 3–0 in the final against Peterborough United.

2011–12 season

On 11 July 2011, Ward signed a three-year contract at Huddersfield Town. ^[8] The fee was around £1 million. ^[9] He made his second début for the Terriers in their 1–1 draw against Bury, at the Galpharm Stadium, ^[10] on 6 August 2011. He scored his first goal the week after in the 2–2 away draw to Rochdale. ^[11] Ward finished the season with 47 appearances in all competitions scoring five times four league goals, he also made 39 appearances in the league as Huddersfield finished the season as Play-off champions winning promotion to the Championship after beating Sheffield United 8–7 on penalties in the Wembley final. ^[12]

2012–13 season

Ward started his first game of the 2012–13 season in Huddersfield's 1–0 away defeat at Preston North End in the Football League Cup when he was substituted in the 46th minute. ^[13] first league game came in Huddersfield's first home game of the coming on as an 81st-minute substitute in Huddersfield's 1–1 home draw with Nottingham Forest on 21 August 2012. ^[14] Ward's first league start didn't come until 1 September in a 2–2 away draw at Ipswich Town, ^[15] his first goal came in the next match at home to Derby County when he scored the only goal of the 1–0 game after just 47 seconds on 15 September 2012. ^[16]

Rotherham United

On 9 January 2015, Ward moved on loan to Rotherham United on a 28-day emergency loan, with a view to a permanent deal. ^[17] On 12 January 2015, it was confirmed that Ward had made a permanent deal with the Millers for an undisclosed fee. ^[18] Rotherham escaped relegation during 2015–16 season.

The following season, Ward was one of the highlights in a poor season as Rotherham were relegated, which led to attraction from other clubs. Ward finished the club's top goalscorers with 12 goals to his name, and his contract was extended by a further year at the end of the season. ^[19]

Cardiff City

During the 2017 summer transfer window, Rotherham accepted a £1.6 million plus add-ons bid from Cardiff City for Ward, ^[20] completing the move on 23 June 2017, signing a three-year deal that will last until the summer of 2020. ^[21] He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 2017–18 season, during a 1–0 victory over Burton Albion as a substitute in place of Junior Hoilett. ^[22] Ward scored his first goal for the club at Fulham in a 1–1 draw, on 9 September. ^[23] Following an injury to Kenneth Zohore, Ward saw a successful run in the starting line up scoring three in six games, one of which (against Nottingham Forest) was nominated for the EFL Goal of the Month, before surgery ruled him out for up 3 months. ^{[24] [25]} Cardiff were promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season.

Ward made his return in the opening game of the following season, a 2–0 loss at Bournemouth. ^[26] He scored his first Premier League goal in a 2–3 defeat to Arsenal on 2 September 2018. ^[27] Cardiff, however, were eventually relegated as Ward endured an injury hit season managing to make 16 appearances in total. ^{[28] [29]}

Ward missed the first month of the 2019–20 Championship season through injury, making his comeback in a 1–0 victory over Middlesbrough, followed by his first goal of the season at Hull City in a 2–2 draw. ^[30] This was followed by a brace at West Bromwich Albion on 5 October. ^[31]

Return to Huddersfield

On 17 August 2020, Ward re-joined Huddersfield Town, ^{[32] [33]} signing a three-year deal. ^[34] On 22 January 2022, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–3 victory away to Reading – Huddersfield's first league hat-trick since Ward himself scored one in 2014. ^[35]

Career statistics

As of match played 8 February 2022

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bolton Wanderers	2009–10 [36]	Premier League	2	0	0	0	0	0	–		2	0
Swindon Town (loan)	2009–10 [36]	League One	30	9	1	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	32	9
Coventry City (loan)	2010–11 [37]	Championship	5	0	0	0	0	0	–		5	0
Huddersfield Town (loan)	2010–11 [37]	League One	7	3	0	0	0	0	3 [lower-alpha 1]	1	10	4
Huddersfield Town	2011–12 [38]	League One	39	4	1	0	2	1	5 [lower-alpha 2]	0	47	5
	2012–13 [39]	Championship	28	2	0	0	1	0	–		29	2
	2013–14 [40]	Championship	38	10	2	0	0	0	–		40	10
	2014–15 [41]	Championship	12	0	0	0	2	0	–		14	0
	Total		117	16	3	0	5	1	5	0	130	17
Rotherham United (loan)	2014–15 [41]	Championship	1	0	0	0	0	0	–		1	0
Rotherham United	2014–15 [41]	Championship	15	3	0	0	0	0	–		15	3
	2015–16 [42]	Championship	34	4	1	0	1	0	–		36	4
	2016–17 [43]	Championship	41	11	1	1	1	0	–		43	12
	Total		90	18	2	1	2	0	0	0	94	19
Cardiff City	2017–18 [44]	Championship	18	4	0	0	2	0	–		20	4
	2018–19 [45]	Premier League	14	1	1	0	1	0	–		16	1
	2019–20 [46]	Championship	28	8	3	1	0	0	2 [lower-alpha 3]	0	33	8
	Total		60	13	4	1	3	0	2	0	68	13
Huddersfield Town	2020–21	Championship	19	1	0	0	1	0	–		20	1
	2021–22	Championship	27	10	2	0	1	0	0	0	30	10
	Total		46	11	2	0	2	0	0	0	50	11
Career total			358	70	12	2	12	1	11	1	393	73

1. Appearance(s) in League One play-offs
2. Two appearances in Football League Trophy, three appearances in League One play-offs
3. Appearances in Championship play-offs

Honours

Huddersfield Town

• Football League One play-offs: 2012 ^[47]

Cardiff City

• EFL Championship runner-up: 2017–18 ^[48]

Individual

• Rotherham United Player of the Year: 2016–17 ^[49]
• Rotherham United Players' Player of the Year: 2016–17 ^[49]

References

1. "Club list of registered players: As at 19th May 2018: Cardiff City" (PDF). English Football League. p. 12. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
2. "Player profile: Danny Ward". Huddersfield Town AFC. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
3. Bolton 0–1 Sunderland Archived 1 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine , bwfc.co.uk, accessed 29 August 2009.
4. Ward Signs New Contract Archived 9 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine , bwfc.co.uk, accessed 10 September 2010.
5. Ward Joins Coventry On Loan Archived 11 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine , bwfc.co.uk, accessed 10 September 2010.
6. Injury hits Ward loan deal, Bolton News, accessed 15 October 2010.
7. Huddersfield Town sign Bolton winger Danny Ward on loan, BBC Sport, accessed 15 March 2011.
8. Ward Signs For Huddersfield Town Archived 15 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine , htafc.com, accessed 11 July 2011.
9. "Ward is tipped for return to top after £1m move". Yorkshire Post. 13 July 2011. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
10. "Huddersfield 1–1 Bury". BBC Sport. 6 August 2011.
11. "Rochdale 2–2 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 13 August 2011.
12. Emlyn Begley (26 May 2012). "Huddersfield promoted after epic shoot-out win over Sheffield United". BBC Sport.
13. "Preston 2–0 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 13 August 2012.
14. Ian Woodcock (21 August 2012). "Huddersfield 1–1 Nott'm Forest". BBC Sport.
15. "Ipswich 2–2 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. September 2012.
16. "BBC Sport – Huddersfield 1–0 Derby". BBC Sport. 15 September 2012.
17. David Threlfall-Sykes. "Danny Ward moves from Huddersfield Town to Rotherham United".
18. "Ward completes permanent move – News – Rotherham United". www.themillers.co.uk.
19. "Lee Camp: Rotherham release experienced goalkeeper after relegation". BBC Sport. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
20. "Rotherham striker Danny Ward agrees Cardiff transfer". Sky Sports News. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
21. "Danny Ward completes City switch". Cardiff City Official Site. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
22. "Burton Albion 0–1 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
23. "Fulham 1–1 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
24. "Danny Ward Nominated in EFL Goal of the Month". Sky Sports. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
25. "Danny Ward: Injured Cardiff striker expected to miss three months". BBC Sport. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
26. "Bournemouth 2–0 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
27. "Cardiff 2–3 Arsenal: Gunners win through Alexandre Lacazette's late strike". BBC Sport. 2 September 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
28. "Cardiff City: Danny Ward hopes he is given a chance to keep Bluebirds up". BBC Sport. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
29. "Cardiff City 2–3 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
30. "Hull City 2–2 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
31. "West Bromwich Albion 4–2 Cardiff City". BBC Sport. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
32. "Club Statement | Danny Ward departs | Cardiff". www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
33. "TRANSFER: WARD BECOMES FIRST SUMMER SIGNING!". www.htafc.com. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
34. "Danny Ward: Huddersfield re-sign striker after Cardiff departure". BBC Sport. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
35. "Ward hat-trick downs Royals in thriller". BBC Sport . 22 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
36. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
37. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
38. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
39. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
40. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
41. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
42. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
43. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
44. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
45. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
46. "Games played by Danny Ward in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
47. Begley, Emlyn (26 May 2012). "Huddersfield 0–0 Sheff Utd". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016.
48. Anderson, John, ed. (2018). Football Yearbook 2018–2019. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 106–107. ISBN   978-1-4722-6106-9.
49. "Ward scoops double award at 2016/17 season dinner". Rotherham United F.C. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2018.

External links

• Danny Ward at Soccerbase
• Profile at Cardiff City F.C.