Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward to leave club after 13 years

New York Times

13-05-2025

Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward will leave this summer after 13 years, the club have confirmed.
The 35-year-old has been a mainstay of the Palace squad since his arrival from Portsmouth for a fee of £400,000 in May 2012, and is the last remaining player from the promotion-winning squad of that season.
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Ward's contract is due to expire at the end of this campaign and he will not be handed an extension.
He has made 363 appearances for Palace in all competitions, with 305 of those coming in the Premier League, more than any other player in the club's history, while he is the longest-serving player in the current squad.
Brought in from Portsmouth by then-manager Dougie Freedman to replace Nathaniel Clyne at right-back after his departure to Southampton, Ward has played under 10 permanent managers at Selhurst Park.
His versatility has seen him operate all across the defensive line and even in centre-midfield, and he was awarded the club's Young Player of the Year award in 2014.
A message from Wardy 🥹#CPFC pic.twitter.com/OYdANu3vCB
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 13, 2025
Ward lost his place in the team to Aaron Wan-Bissaka towards the end of the 2017-18 season following injury, and sat out much of the following campaign as Wan-Bissaka established himself as first choice.
But he regained his position after Wan-Bissaka was sold to Manchester United in June 2019, making a further 142 appearances until injury and the form of Daniel Munoz limited his minutes in the current campaign, with Ward playing only twice in all competitions.
'Joel has been an incredible ambassador for this football club: open, friendly and professional, but also competitive, driven and uncompromising in the standards he sets,' chairman Steve Parish told the club website.
'Over the course of 13 years' service, Joel has been an example for all Palace players who have gone before him: in his values, in his presence, and in his dedication to representing this club with pride.'
Ward said it was a 'see you later,' rather than goodbye, and told the club website it had been 'a huge privilege to wear this shirt (and) to represent this club'.
'I've been a part of this club and a part of the furniture for so long that I'd like to think I'm part of the family.'
Ward's most valuable contribution came in the play-off final victory over Watford in 2012, when he cleared off the line deep into extra–time, but his experience has seen him continue to be an integral part of the squad even when his appearances have dwindled.
With Clyne out of contract in 2012 and Palace expecting him to move on, Freedman revealed at a fans' forum that summer that he had found a replacement who he believed would be an upgrade on the then highly rated youngster.
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The player was Ward. The pair's profiles were markedly different, with Ward more defensively-minded than Clyne, but he has been a huge success story over an outstanding 13 years at Palace.
For the FA Cup semi-final victory over Aston Villa last month, Oliver Glasner revealed he returned Ward to the squad in place of Matheus Franca because of his experience, with Ward also starting Palace's defeat by Manchester United in the 2016 FA Cup final.
'He has the experience of Wembley with Crystal Palace and he is a leader in the dressing room,' Glasner said in his press conference before the Premier League match with Nottingham Forest.
'He deserves to be part of the squad in these games. I left him out of the squad for the two league games before.'
Ward's professionalism, consistency and unwavering commitment over such a long period of time has been invaluable for Palace. He deserves to be considered in the conversation for the best value for money the club has made.
He was not the most explosive full-back but in an era where defensive solidity was most important, he was the perfect player for Palace.
As always happens in football, his time has been and gone, but he will be fondly remembered.
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