Jamie Ward

At 37 years old, Jamie Ward has this physical status:

Jamie John Ward (born 12 May 1986) is an English-born Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker or a winger for Scunthorpe United.

Born in Birmingham, he began his football career with Aston Villa, but he was unable to join the first team after a spell on loan at Stockport County. He then moved to Torquay United.

Ward began working first for Chesterfield and then Sheffield United before joining Derby County in 2011 and later Nottingham Forest in 2015.

He competes for the Northern Ireland national team after qualifying through his grandfather.

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Club career

Ward began his career as a trainee with Aston Villa and was involved in their 2004 FA Youth Cup Final loss to Middlesbrough. After recovering from the injuries sustained in a car accident in 2004, he became a professional in July 2005.

Although Ward captained Aston Villa's reserve team, he did not make a first-team appearance, and he joined Stockport County on loan until the end of the season, his first-season appearance in a 1–0 victory over Bury on March 7th. In a 3–1 home win over Shrewsbury Town, he made nine appearances, scoring once.

Despite concern from Stockport County and Wrexham, Ward was released by Aston Villa at the end of the 2005–06 season and in 2006, he signed a three-year deal with Torquay United. However, Ward requested for a transfer in December 2006, despite a change in ownership and manager at Torquay.

Ward joined Chesterfield, a former Torquay boss Roy McFarland, on January 31, 2007 on a two-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

He started the 2007–08 season with a bang against Sheffield United in his second game, but he pulled his hamstring again against Sheffield United. He returned to fitness and scored twelve goals for the Spireites this season.

He began the 2008–09 season as a first choice, with his form attracting interest from top-level clubs such as Derby County and Sheffield United. In December 2008, he turned down a new deal with Chesterfield, but his existing deal will come to an end at the end of the season. Barnsley, a championship team, made a bid for Ward worth £400,000, which had been rejected. However, the transfer was called off after he refused to reach personal terms with the club.

Ward, who had ruled against Barnsley, has since agreed to a three and a half-year contract with Sheffield United in January 2009, with the clubs deciding on a fee of around £330,000.

Ward scored his first goal for the Blades in just his second appearance, a 2–1 victory at Southampton in February of the same year. Before Ward regained the lead in the 93rd minute, the Blades had conceded a 93rd minute to an injury time equalizer. He continued to play for the remainder of the season, scoring a new goal in the process. However, his season came to an end as he was suspended for two handballs against Burnley at Wembley Stadium.

Ward returned to form in the first two games of the following season, scoring four goals in seven games, including the opener against the Owls in the Bramall Lane leg. In the game, unfortunately, he was stretchered off the field later in the game due to a suspected hamstring tear. Ward came back to the team in November and continued to play regularly before succumbing to an injury in April that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Ward returned to fitness in the 2010-2011 season as a regular first team player, but early discipline in the local derby against Leeds United paired with further injury issues and a lack of form meant he could not keep a regular spot in the first team.

Ward was loaned to fellow relegation-threatened Championship team Derby County in mid-February for three months, with the intention of a permanent contract as the Blades strugled, and with new manager Micky Adams trying to re-build the team. Ward made his England debut on February 19th, with Scunthorpe United scoring a 0–0 draw. He started the next game, a 1–0 loss to Hull City, but he missed his third, a 1–0 victory at Sheffield United, because he was ineligible under the terms of his loan. He appeared in all of the next ten games, assisting the relegation-threatened side to two victories and four draws. In a 2–1 loss to Middlesbrough on March 8, the club's first goal was a penalty. In a 2–2 draw against Crystal Palace on 19 March, he scored again, a stunning 35-yard foul. He was selected in the Championship's "Team of the Week" for his efforts. In a 2–2 draw with Coventry City on 9 April, he scored two goals in two games, the first for a late consolation in a 4–1 loss to Cardiff City and the second for Derby's equalizer in a 2–2 draw in two games.

In the following game, he scored twice more, defeating Leeds United 2–1. In the 30th minute against Burnley, the Rams defeated Burnley 2–1. He forfeited a penalty and was given a straight red card for fouling former Derby defender Tyrone Mears in the 18-yard box in the 61st minute. Burnley defeated the match 4–2. Ward was suspended for the next two games and returned to face Reading on May 7th for the final match of the season. He tied for equalizing with a 25-yard field goal, but Derby went on to lose the match 2–1. Derby escaped relegation to League One, something his parent club struggled to do. Ward signed a two-year deal with the option of a year extension for an undisclosed fee, making his loan spell a success two days after the conclusion of Derby's season.

Derby defeated Nottingham Forest 21-0 on September 17, 2011, Ward scoring his first goal as a full Derby player with the equalizer against rival Nottingham Forest. The goal received the club's Goal of the Season award. Ward appeared in all of Derby's (32 games, four goals) league games (except in the League Cup match against Shrewsbury Town when he was on international service). Ward's streak of starts ended after the game against Leicester City, where Ward sustained a thigh injury while overseas on February 29. Ward had been out of action for five weeks before making his first team return in a goalless draw against Ipswich Town on April 7th. Ward was forced to leave early in the second half after picking up a dead leg in the match against Cardiff City on April 17, 2012. Ward was able to play the following game at Portsmouth because he was able.

Despite his year in office, Derby coach John Metgod announced that the team was already in contract talks with Ward in April 2012. Ward signed a new two-year deal on April 19, 2012, with the possibility of a third year, which will extend his stay at Derby until at least the summer of 2014. In a July 2012 interview, Derby boss Nigel Clough said Ward will continue to play more as a striker in the 2012-13 season.

Ward continued to play in the first four league games of the season as a striker, contributing two assists and scoring Derby's fifth goal in the 5–1 home win over Watford.

Ward scored his first brace for the club against Charlton Athletic in a 3–2 victory, with a 25-yard volley and a penalty. In a 2–1 loss to Burnley, Williams scored again four days after opening the scoring. Ward tore up a Grade One tear of his hamstring during a Derby game at Nottingham Forest in October 2012. Clough said he was uncertain when Ward would return to the squad two months later, on December 6, and expressed his dissatisfaction with the injury. However, Clough said Ward would return to the matchday squad as a replacement after a three-month absence. Ward was a 68th-minute replacement and scored the equalizer in the 72nd minute in the 1–1 draw against Charlton. However, he sustained an injury in the game and was forced to be replaced in the 83rd minute. Ward missed the following game due to his injury.

Ward scored six times in January and February 2013, taking his total score to eleven goals overtaking former top scorer Theo Robinson on nine. During Derby's 1–0 loss to Crystal Palace on March 1, Ward sustained a new hamstring injury on March 1st. He was suspended from the team until March 16th, when he played 63 minutes in Derby's 2–1 victory over Leicester City at home. In Derby's 3–0 victory over Bristol City on March 29, he scored his 12th goal of the season. After 3 minutes of the match, Ward also missed a penalty. He missed the next game, a 2–1 triumph over Leeds United, but he did play the final five games of the season, missing another penalty against Ipswich Town. Despite missing significant portions of the season due to injuries, Ward was ranked third in the 2012-13 Football League Championship by the Actim Index, despite being named third in the 2012-2013 Football League Championship.

Ward appeared in all 16 league games, beginning 14 of them. In a 4–4 draw against Ipswich Town at Pride Park on October 1, he scored his first goal of the season. In a 3–2 win over Watford on October 19 October, he scored a brace against Watford in a 3–2 victory and another in the following game, a 1–1 draw with Birmingham City on October 26.

Derby defeated AFC Bournemouth 1–0 on November 23rd, scoring his only goal of the season as he went deep into goal for the first time. He was called out for a fortnight after breaking his knee and having emergency scans. In the club's 2–1 win over Middlesbrough on December 4, however, he only missed one match and returned ahead of schedule. In a 2–0 win over Charlton Athletic on December 14th, he scored his sixth goal of the season, a 25-yard free kick.

After his deal with Derby came to an end at the end of the season, Ward signed for Derby's arch-rivals Nottingham Forest on a four-year contract. Given that Ward had often played a tense and provocative part in recent games between the two teams, this was a strange change. Ward confirmed this in an interview with BBC East Midlands Today, but said that his current obsession was on Forest: he confirmed it.

"I suspect a few people would be surprised," I am thrilled to be here, and Nottingham Forest is the only thing that matters now, [the drama] was to spice up the local rivalry, but it made me a bit more stick than I wanted. At the time, I loved it, but I hope the fans will see past it and get behind me."

In an FA Cup tie against Queens Park Rangers on January 9, 2016, Ward scored his first goal for the club. In a man-of-the-match match against Bolton Wanderers, this was followed a week later by his first league goal and two assists. Nottingham Forest's good form continued, with Ward scoring to win Nottingham Forest a home victory over Middlesbrough, who were at the top of the table right now.

Ward was loaned to Burton Albion, a Championship rival, until the end of the 2016–17 season. In a 1–1 draw with Queens Park Rangers on September 27, 2016, he scored his first goal for the club. Ward's loan to Burton was terminated on January 20, 2017, and he returned to Nottingham Forest.

Ward joined Cardiff City on loan for the remainder of the 2017-18 season, with Lee Tomlin moving to Forest on loan. His debut against Bolton Wanderers was on February 13th; however, he suffered an injury 13 minutes before the game, prompting his departure.

Ward joined Charlton Athletic on loan until January 1, 2019.

Ward joined Scunthorpe United in a League Two contract until January 2020.

Ward joined Solihull Moors in National League on a one-year contract on October 2, 2020.

Ward joined Buxton's Northern Premier League side on August 13, 2021.

Following them winning the league and winning promotion, Ward left Buxton at the end of the 2021–22 season. After winning the Division One Midlands, he signed for newly promoted Northern Premier League Premier Division side Ilkeston Town. Ward was named interim manager of the club on September 6, 2022, before being given the job on a permanent basis on the 21st of the month.

International career

Ward qualifies for Northern Ireland through his grandfather, who was born in Birmingham, West Midlands. He made two appearances for the Northern Ireland under-18 team and seven for the under-21 team. Ward was called into the senior team in March 2009 after a promising start to his career with Sheffield United, Poland, and Slovenia. Ward was an ineffective substitute for the two games in which Northern Ireland defeated back-to-back games and possibly raised their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa.

Ward earned his first full cap for Northern Ireland in a Euro 2012 qualifier against the Faroe Islands on August 10, 2011 — his first appearance for the Faroe Islands in their first 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Ward scored his first goal in a 2–4 home loss to Portugal on September 6, 2013. Jamie Ward was selected in Michael O'Neill's squad for Euro 2016 on May 28th.

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