Ward has gone from an outcast in League One to the Premier class
Hard work has underpinned the career of Burnley’s ‘role model’
BURNLEY’s training ground is a place where new money, old money and no money collide. Situated within the sprawling 14th century Gawthorpe Hall estate on land which is protected by Britain’s National Trust, there is no escaping the splendour of the surroundings.
The Premier League club are now making the most of the few acres they have to themselves, not to mention the television cash which has flowed in from two seasons of top flight football over the past three years.
A new £10 million training centre (roughly the same price as recordtransfer Jeff Hendrick cost from Derby County) is set to be completed in the coming months but, for the time being, it is ‘The Bungalow’ where the nitty-gritty work is carried out by staff each day.
It sticks out like a sore thumb. Rather than the quaint-looking brick cottages which back onto the players’ car park, ‘The Bungalow’ looks more like a run-down holiday home. They will still be sad to see it go when it is gutted and done up during the summer.
On Friday, a two-litre plastic bottle of milk stood beneath a dripping tap in the kitchen while the grimy bath in the toilet facing the press conference room was oddly endearing. Burnley, it must be noted, had the 10th highest operating profit in Europe for 2015, according to recently released figures by UEFA in its Club Licensing Benchmarking Report.
With a surplus of €54 million they outperformed Bayern Munich while the Clarets’ net profit of €40m bettered Barcelona and PSG. The club are sensible rather than stingy with their money – staff travelling to today’s game against Arsenal will return in first class as it’s only £10 to upgrade on a Sunday. All this and Burnley were actually relegated in 2015, finishing 19th in the Premier League before bouncing straight back up again this term.
Now they are 12th and looking up rather than down the table. ‘When we came up the first year and got promoted it was a first for everyone, it felt great and everyone seemed to be happy with that,’ Stephen Ward recalls.
‘But coming back this year it felt different, from day one of pre-season there was a complete change in attitude, players felt like they belonged and that has meant a change in our performances and how we approach games.
‘But it is always the case no matter which team you are or where you play, you always want to get the next result as quickly as possible. We’ve given ourselves a great chance of staying in the league but at the same time we can’t get carried away looking back down the table and worrying. Still, you just want that next result as soon as possible.’
This month marks the 10th anniversary of Ward’s move to England from Bohemians in 2007. A pre-season friendly with Wolverhampton Wanderers came at just the right time for the striker, who impressed Mick McCarthy, and was brought to Molineux soon after.
‘Before I knew it was on the bench for a game against Cardiff and everything just changed,’ the 31-yearold remembers.
There were changes on the pitch, too. ‘Mick converted me to a left back from a striker and worked with me a lot on that. He showed me the ropes there and I owe him a lot for that. He believed in me and when someone has that belief in you and shows you that they feel you’re worth it and willing to give you a chance, it gives you so much confidence to want to play.
‘It gives you a mentality that you want to play for him and not let him down. I wanted to show him he was right to believe in me.’
Ward was a man in his 20s when he arrived in England and the grounding he received at Dalymount Park is only part of his story. Like most mothers, Sandra Ward drove her son to and from training and matches from the moment the Portmarnock native began kicking a ball.
‘Even when I was 17, 18, 19 at Bohs I wasn’t driving so she would drop me off on her way to work. You’re never going to forget that stuff. My mum and dad and sister have always been great support for me.’
When he was eight, his father Seán threw him in one of the cells along with his uncle at Store Street Garda station in Dublin’s inner city where he was based. ‘I think he just wanted to scare me,’ Ward smiles. ‘He wasn’t too hard on us and just made sure we knew what was right and what was wrong.’
Niall Quinn describes Ward as ‘a role model without all the bullshit’. And he’s right. With 40 caps for Ireland and today’s Premier League clash with Arsenal bringing him to 124 top flight appearances, Ward has forged a career for himself by marrying talent with sheer determination, dedication and education. There is no more admirable quality then getting the very best out of what you have.
‘I always wanted to make the very best for myself,’ Ward explains. ‘I suppose when you finish that is when you can look back and take things in more now. There really is nothing you can do but live in the here and now. There is always something that keeps you motivated.
‘There is always something there for you to keep the mind occupied. It could be thinking about staying in the team, thinking about what you have to do get into the team, working back from injury, the next game, there is always something.
‘The only way to really get through it is by not getting too down or too ahead of yourself but of course it’s hard. We are all human beings so of course we are all emotional people, sometimes you wish you weren’t because it does affect you. I’ve had lows like everyone else but I’ve been able to come back stronger from them.’
His seven years at Wolves ended in exile, but Ward insists he doesn’t hold a grudge. Successive relegations had left the beleaguered club in League One and Kenny Jackett – the fourth manager in just over a year – banished Ward to the fringes along with fellow Ireland internationals Kevin Doyle and Kevin Foley in 2014.
A group of six senior pros trained alone each afternoon from 2pm once the first team, reserves and youths
‘WE’VE GIVEN OURSELVES A GREAT CHANCE OF STAYING IN THE LEAGUE’
‘JAMIE O’HARA IS YOUNGER THAN WARD. HE IS NOW IN BIG BROTHER’