Bringing back Ward ‘is a real good bit of business’ by Town
small glimpses of what Matty can do on the pitch but as someone who has worked with him, I know there is much more to come.
“He’s an exciting talent who can go on to have a fantastic career with us.”
Daly has long been thought of as a sure-fire first-team regular at some stage, ever since impressing through the club’s age-group sides.
It’s two years since he first put pen to paper on a contract with Town and those terms still had another year to run, with the club having the option to add a further 12 months.
He made substitute appearances against Watford and Southampton in the Premier
DANNY Ward this week became Carlos Corberan’s first signing at Huddersfield Town.
Terriers fans will already know plenty about the forward from his first spell with the club. But what has changed since he left Town? We spoke to WalesOnline’s Glen Williams - who covered Ward at his last club Cardiff...
Q: Danny Ward was a winger when he was previously at Huddersfield Town. What sort of player is he now?
GW: He’s a real finisher. Give him a chance in the box and he will pull the trigger and finish it. I think he is the best finisher in Cardiff’s squad. Or, well, he used to be.
He makes smart, clever runs off the should and doesn’t need a second invitation to shoot. A livewire, if you play to his strengths.
Q: Will Cardiff fans be sad to see him leave?
GW: Having canvassed social media when the news of his potential departure came about, I would say yes, by and large, City fans were disappointed.
He was the most natural finisher in the squad and someone fans always felt could make something happen when he came on late in the game.
He hadn’t had as many minutes as he would have liked, but fans would very often sing his name to urge Neil Warnock or Neil Harris to bring him on.
Q: Some Town fans are underwhelmed by the news, should they feel that way about his return? GW: I really don’t think they should be. He is a very good striker at this level and will score goals if you play to his strengths. He might not get you 20 goals a season like Karlan Grant, but he is still a classy operator at this level and will be a very good addition to the Terriers’ squad.
Q: Now he’s 28, what are his best qualities and can he lead a three-man front line?
GW: Sniping around the box and making intelligent runs are his best qualities, I would say.
He is also cool under pressure, he can manoeuvre the ball in tight spaces in the box.
He has a surprisingly good spring when challenging in the air, too, so can latch on to a header or two. I seem to remember him scoring a peach of a header against West Brom last season.
He can definitely lead a front three if they play quick, counter-attacking football. At Cardiff, lumping the ball up to him just didn’t work.
Q: Is it a good bit of business in terms of what he can offer in a possible Championship promotion bid?
GW: Definitely. He was part of the promotion season at Cardiff and that experience is invaluable. A free transfer, too, you can’t really leave someone like that on the shelf.