PLAYED FOR BOTH: STEPHEN WARD

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Ahead of Tuesday's match with Wolves we caught up with the former Clarets and Wolves defender

2024-04-01T15:00:00.000Z

PLAYED FOR BOTH: STEPHEN WARD

Ahead of Tuesday's match with Wolves we caught up with the former Clarets and Wolves defender

2024-04-01T15:00:00.000Z

Ahead of Tuesday's match with Wolves we caught up with the former Clarets and Wolves defender

Ward played for Wolves, Brighton & Hove Albion, Stoke City, Ipswich Town and Walsall as well as the Clarets over a 15-year career in England.

The former Republic of Ireland defender also made 50 appearances for his country and scored three times, as well as competing at the European Championships in 2012 and 2016.

The left-back made more than 100 appearances for the Clarets, a period which included two promotions to the Premier League. During his time at Turf Moor, Ward helped the Clarets win promotion to the Premier League as champions in 2016 as well as helping them reach Europe when the Clarets qualified for the prestigious UEFA Europa League in the 2017/18 season.

Ward speaks highly of the club and his time at Turf Moor: “It was absolutely brilliant. I’d been on loan at Brighton for a year, I’d played against Burnley twice. I’d done alright in the games. I think it really came about through Michael Kightly, he was there on loan at the time.

“I’d played with Kights at Wolves and we were really close mates and I think the manager knew we were close.

“I was close to signing for Brighton permanently and I got a phone call from Kights saying are you interested so I said of course and then they contacted Wolves, and the rest was history.”

Ward added: “I loved every minute of it. Even in the first year I got a bad injury, and we ended up going down, but with the type of lads we were bringing in, the two squads were so similar between Wolves and Burnley.

“Mick McCarthy and Sean Dyche had similar values and it was a great fit for me. It was a great environment and a great place to work. I still believe the environments built were the key to their success.

“We qualified for Europe and similar to Wolves the memories of the games we played against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City at home, they were the memories, really special, and I loved every minute.

“I was gutted when I left but I was moving on in my career. I had some really great memories and great times.”

Stephen had an impressive career since moving to the Midlands back in January 2007 from Dublin-based League of Ireland side Bohemians where he joined Wolves.

The Dublin-born left-back made his professional Football League debut as a substitute shortly after a successful trial with Wolves against Cardiff City at Molineux.

His first goal in the Championship came on his full league debut against Plymouth Argyle, also at Molineux, where both sides would eventually go on to share the points in a 2-2 draw.

“It was great. I was playing in the Irish League and luckily enough we had that link with Mick McCarthy. From my point of view, it was the opportunity I was waiting for.

“I was lucky when I came over, I hit the ground running. We had a good young group of players there and a really good squad. It allowed us to have the success that we did.

“The game against QPR when we got promoted was incredible because we had a young group, we weren’t one of the favourites, but things come together after a two-year period of developing and growing up really. It was a really special day that.

“To play in the Premier League is something you dream of as a kid, and we were really lucky to have some really good results against them.”

With such fond memories of both clubs, how does Wardy see the game going on Tuesday?

“Burnley have a longer-term philosophy, with a younger squad and an unbelievable manager. Credit to them for sticking to their guns and you can see that it’s been built from day one.

“Regardless of what happens this season, the club is in good hands to take it forward. It worked last year and a win for Burnley would be massive with back-to-back home wins.”