Lucy Ward (footballer)

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Lucy Ward
Personal information
Date of birth (1974-04-15) 15 April 1974 (age 51)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1996–2002 Leeds United (164)
2002–2003 Doncaster Rovers Belles ? (14 [1] )
2003–2009 Leeds United ? (104)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Lucy Ward (born 15 April 1974 [2] ) is a leading broadcaster and former English footballer. Ward has held various hosting, commentary and punditry roles for broadcasters including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky Sports, BT Sport, Setanta Sports, ESPN, CBS, TNT Sports, talkSPORT, DAZN, Disney+ and Prime Video across Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, Women's Super League and international football.

Contents

Ward has covered every major women’s football tournament and Olympics since 2007. She was part of the BAFTA winning BBC coverage for the Women's European Championships in 2022 [3] and nominated as part of ITV's broadcasting of the Women's World Cup a year later. [4] Ward was also named as one of The Guardian’s broadcasters of the season for 2024/2025. [5]

Prior to broadcasting, Ward was a professional footballer and played for Leeds United Ladies and Doncaster Rovers Belles for more than a decade. She played a key role in the Leeds United side which reached a Women's FA Cup final final for the first time in 2006. [6]

Ward later became head of education and welfare at Leeds United after her retirement from football and worked with players such as James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Fabian Delph and Kalvin Phillips. [7]

In addition to her broadcasting work, Ward has been an advocate and driver for change for women in sport and media.

Club career

Ward joined Leeds United Ladies when it was a community team, playing as a forward during the side's rise to become one of the best teams in England. [2]

She moved to Doncaster Rovers Belles in the 2002–03 season, returning to Leeds United for the start of the following season. [8]

Ward played in Lucas Radebe's testimonial at Elland Road in May 2005, scoring soon after coming on as a substitute for Gary Speed and later setting up a goal for Matthew Kilgallon. [9] [10]

She was an important member of the Leeds United squad that reached the Women's FA Cup final for the first time in May 2006, finishing runners up in a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal Ladies. [11]

She became head of education and welfare at Leeds United's academy, overseeing around 250 junior players and a handful of young first-team players including James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Fabian Delph and Kalvin Phillips. [12]

She left the position in 2015, winning a high-profile legal battle (in June 2016) against Leeds owner Massimo Cellino over her dismissal. [13]

International career

Ward represented England at Under-21 level at just 16 years of age. [12]

Other

Ward’s first broadcasting role at an international event was the Women’s World Cup in China in 2007 with the BBC before she covered the Olympics a year later for the same broadcaster and Eurosport.

An ever-present feature of the BBC's football coverage for the London Olympics in 2012, Ward worked alongside figures such as Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson and Jacqui Oatley.

Ward was part of the BAFTA winning BBC coverage for the Women's European Championships in 2022 [3] and nominated as part of ITV's broadcasting of the Women's World Cup a year later. [4]

She also covered the men's World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and European Championships in 2024 for CBS.

Her partner is former Leeds United and Liverpool Ladies head coach Neil Redfearn. [13]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueWFA CupPremier League CupCounty CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leeds United 1996–9741
1997–9824
1998–9920
1999–200025
2000–0121
2001–02 [14] 18
2002–03 [1] 17
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2002–03 [1] 1114
Leeds United 2003–04 [15] 1220
2004–05 [16] 916
2005–06 816
2006–07 1019
2007–08 inj
2008–09 33

References

  1. 1 2 3 Karbusch, Lars; Shannon, David (6 March 2005). "England (Women) 2002/03". RSSSF . Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Meet the players". Leeds United Ladies. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Sports Coverage". Bafta. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Sports Coverage". Bafta. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  5. ↑ Glendenning, Barry (26 May 2025). "Premier League 2024-25 review: broadcasters of the season". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  6. ↑ Writer, Henry Winter, Chief Football (31 December 2021). "Lucy Ward: I felt betrayed having to leave Leeds United – it was my dream job". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 22 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Writer, Henry Winter, Chief Football (31 December 2021). "Lucy Ward: I felt betrayed having to leave Leeds United – it was my dream job". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 22 August 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Leeds unite several returning players and new faces". Fair Game. 16 July 2003. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  9. ↑ "The Lucas Radebe Testimonial". Soccer AM World. 2 May 2005. Archived from the original on 10 December 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  10. ↑ Fozard, Tom. "Everybody's hero!". BBC Leeds. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  11. ↑ Terry, Denise (2 May 2006). "Arsenal 5 Leeds 0: Yankey leads march in Arsenal cup coup". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  12. 1 2 Irvine, Christopher (25 April 2005). "Agony Aunt's dual role strikes chord with Leeds youngsters". The Times. London. Retrieved 29 October 2009.[ dead link ]
  13. 1 2 "Leeds United employee Lucy Ward wins sex discrimination case". BBC News. 13 April 2016.
  14. ↑ Shannon, David (9 September 2002). "England (Women) 2001/02". RSSSF . Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  15. ↑ Shannon, David (20 August 2003). "England (Women) 2003/04". RSSSF . Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  16. ↑ Shannon, David (17 June 2006). "England (Women) 2004/05". RSSSF . Retrieved 29 October 2009.
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