| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew James Ward [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 16 August 2003 [1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Woking | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Wroxham | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Wroxham | 5 | (3) |
| 2021–2024 | Ipswich Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Derry City (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | → Braintree Town (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| 2024– | Woking | 37 | (4) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:42, 20 August 2025 (UTC) | |||
Matthew James Ward (born 16 August 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for National League club Woking.
Ward joined the Academy at Ipswich Town from Wroxham in 2020. [2] He had scored three goals in five games for Wroxham in the Eastern Counties Football League during the abandoned 2020–21 season. [3] In March 2021, a deal was agreed "in principle" for him to sign his first professional contract with Ipswich Town the following season. [4] [5] He made his first-team debut on 27 November 2022, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Gassan Ahadme in a 4–0 win over Buxton in the FA Cup. [6]
Following a loan spell with Irish side, Derry City in early 2023, [7] Ward joined National League South side, Braintree Town in November that same year. [8] On 9 February 2024, Ward was recalled from his loan a month earlier than originally expected. [9]
On 17 August 2024, Ward signed for National League club Woking following his departure from Ipswich Town. [10] On the same day, he made his debut for the club during a 2–0 home defeat to Gateshead, replacing Charley Kendall in the 61st minute. [11] A week later, he scored his first goal for Woking in their 3–0 away victory at Ebbsfleet United, curling an effort past Mark Cousins in the 93rd minute. [12] Ward went onto impress during the duration of the season, picking up player of the month awards in September [13] and November. [14] He went onto feature 42 times, scoring 6 goals in his debut season with the club before signing a new two-year deal in May 2025. [15]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wroxham | 2020–21 [16] | Eastern Counties League Premier Division | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | |
| Ipswich Town | 2021–22 [17] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022–23 [17] | League One | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023–24 [17] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Derry City (loan) | 2023 [17] | LOI Premier Division | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 [a] | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| Braintree Town (loan) | 2023–24 [17] | National League South | 13 | 3 | — | — | 1 [b] | 0 | 14 | 3 | ||
| Woking | 2024–25 [17] | National League | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 [c] | 2 | 42 | 6 | |
| 2025–26 [17] | National League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 [d] | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 37 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 2 | 46 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 58 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 70 | 13 | ||