Nick Ward (Australian footballer)

Nick Ward
Personal information
Full name Nicholas Andrew Ward
Date of birth (1985-03-24) 24 March 1985
Place of birth Perth, Western Australia
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Olympic Kingsway
2000–2002 ECU Joondalup
2003 AIS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 Perth Glory 2 (0)
2004 Stirling Lions 7 (2)
2005–2006 Perth Glory 21 (5)
2006–2007 Queens Park Rangers 20 (1)
2007 → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) 8 (1)
2007–2010 Melbourne Victory 46 (5)
2010–2011 Wellington Phoenix 24 (1)
2011 Iraklis 0 (0)
2011–2012 Wellington Phoenix 22 (2)
2012–2013 Perth Glory 23 (2)
2013–2014 Newcastle Jets 6 (0)
2015 Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (0)
National team‡
2004–2005 Australia U-20 16 (4)
2006–2008 Australia U-23 16 (2)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2015.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 November 2010

Nick Ward (born 24 March 1985 in Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) player, who last played as a midfielder for Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League.

Club career

His efforts in the inaugural A-League season of 2005–06 resulted in him becoming the first player to win the A-League's Rising Star Award with Perth Glory, along with also winning the Perth Supporter's Player of the Year, and also the Smokefree WA Coach's Award.[1]

Following the end of the first A-League season, Nick Ward had trials with Leicester City and Brentford however, much to the disappointment of Football Federation Australia,[2] he joined Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship prior to the 2006–07 season.

On 31 January 2007, the last day of the transfer window, Ward joined Brighton on loan for the remainder of the 2006–07 season. On 17 February 2007, Ward scored his first goal for the Albion in their 2–1 home win over Nottingham Forest before returning to Queens Park Rangers.

On 4 December 2007, Ward's contract with Queens Park Rangers was terminated by mutual consent. He joined Melbourne Victory before further signing on as the Victory's youth marquee in a two-year deal. On 11 January 2008, Ward scored his first goal for the Melbourne Victory in their 3–0 home win over Wellington Phoenix.

On 1 September 2010, it was announced that Ward had signed with the Wellington Phoenix for the remainder of the 2010/11 A-League season.[3] On 11 September 2010, against Sydney FC, he scored his only goal for the Phoenix, a wonderful shot into the top right hand corner from outside the 18 yard box.[4] Following the season, Ward was released from the Phoenix.[5] Months after joining Iraklis Thessaloniki, Ward returned to the Wellington Phoenix after the Greek team was relegated to the amateur divisions. Ward said, “I am delighted Ricki wanted me back and everything has fallen into place.[6]

Ward rejoined Perth Glory for the 2012/13 Hyundai A-League Season, scoring his first goal since returning in the club's 3–2 win over the Newcastle Jets on the 3rd of November 2012. He scored his second goal for the club against the Western Sydney Wanderers in the 87th minute, which finished in a 1–1 draw.

Ward, along with teammates Evan Berger, Dean Heffernan and Lewis Italiano were released by the Glory at the end of the 2012–13 A-League season.[7] Ward unsuccessfully played a trial game for the Western Sydney Wanderers during the 2013–14 pre-season.

Ward signed with Newcastle Jets as injury cover at the end of December 2013.[8]

On 28 February 2015, Ward signed with Western Sydney Wanderers, making his debut in a 3-0 loss to Melbourne Victory, and unfortunately for Ward, suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear.[9]

International career

After his season had concluded with Perth Glory, Ward was selected by Australia in an extended squad for its opening Asian Cup qualifier with Bahrain.[10] Ward was named on the bench, but did not play on the field.

In December 2006 the then Socceroos manager Graham Arnold believed that Ward (lacking game time under the management of Queens Park Rangers at the time) should be playing continental European competitions (e.g. Belgium, Netherlands), where there was (in Arnold's opinion) better ball delivery and midfield play than in the English Championship.[11] Those comments could be interpreted as a preliminary reason not to select Ward in forthcoming Socceroos friendlies at the time. Ward's absence from more recent squads could be attributed to his lack playing minutes at Melbourne Victory (due to injuries and club coach Ernie Merrick's preference for more experienced players in his positions) and the success of other similar young players in transitioning their career to European clubs (including Nick Carle, Dario Vidosic, Nikita Rukavytsya and Brett Holman).

His exclusion from the Olyroos squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics was a major disappointment [12] especially after being a regular squad member under coach Rob Baan in Australia's qualification path.

Club career statistics

All-Time Club Performances
Club Season Australia A-League Finals Series Asia Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Perth Glory
(A-League)		 2003–04 2 0 2 0
2005–06 21 5 21 5
2012–13 4 2 4 2
Club Total 27 7 27 7
Club Season England Championship FA Cup League Cup Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Queens Park Rangers
(Football League Championship)		 2006–07 19 1 1 0 1 0 21 1
2007–08 1 0 1 0 2 0
Club Total 20 1 1 0 2 0 23 1
Club Season England League One FA Cup League Cup Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
(Football League One)
(on loan from Queens park Rangers)		 2006–07 8 1 8 1
Club Total 8 1 8 1
Club Season Australia A-League Finals Series Asia Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Melbourne Victory
(A-League)		 2007–08 5 1 5 1
2008–09 15 2 3 0 ? ? 18 2
2009–10 19 2 3 0 ? ? 22 2
2010–11 1 0 1 0
Club Total 40 5 6 0 46 5
Club Season Australia A-League Finals Series Asia Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Wellington Phoenix
(A-League)		 2010–11 23 1 1 0 24 1
2011–12 18 2 0 0 18 2
Club Total 41 3 1 0 42 3
Career totals
Last updated 8 March 2012

Honours

With Melbourne Victory:

With Perth Glory:

Personal Honours:

References

  1. ↑ "Despotovski wins MGP Award". a-league.com. Retrieved 9 August 2006.
  2. ↑ "Midfielder Ward seals move to QPR". bbc.co.uk. 8 July 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2006.
  3. ↑ Ward bolsters Phoenix midfield
  4. ↑ Stoney, Emma (11 September 2010). "Phoenix edge hapless Sydney FC". A-League. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Layland, Christian (29 June 2011). "Hyundai A-League transfers 2011/2011". The Football Sack. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Nick Ward Back And Raring To Go". a-league.co.au. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  7. ↑ http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/268664,stars-exit-as-clubs-swing-axe.aspx
  8. ↑ "Ward joins Jets as injury cover". Football Federation Australia. 23 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "Ins & Outs confirmed for Sydney Derby". wswanderersfc.com.au. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Local players boosted". a-league.com. Retrieved 9 August 2006.
  11. ↑ "Arnold: QPR not the club for Ward". Tribal Football. Retrieved 2006-12-15. Archived 8 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ "Victory's Ward Chases Dream Year". Australian Four Four Two. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
Awards
Preceded by
Alex Brosque		 Hyundai A-League
Young Player of the Year Award
2005–06 		Succeeded by
Adrian Leijer
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