Nick Ward (footballer)

Football player infobox
playername = Nick Ward
fullname = Nicholas Andrew Ward


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1985|3|24
cityofbirth = Perth
countryofbirth = Australia
height = height|m=1.83
currentclub = Melbourne Victory
clubnumber = 22
position = Attacking Midfielder, Central Midfielder
youthyears =
2000–2002
2003
youthclubs = Kingsway Olympic
ECU Joondalup
AIS
years = 2003–2004
2004
2005–2006
2006–2007
2007
2007–"present"
clubs = Perth Glory
Stirling Lions
Perth Glory
Queens Park Rangers
→ Brighton & Hove Albion "(loan)"
Melbourne Victory
caps(goals) = 02 (0)
23 (5)
23 (1)
08 (1)
06 (2)
nationalyears = 2004–2005
2006–2008
nationalteam = Australia U-20
Australia U-23
nationalcaps(goals) = 16 (4)
11 (2)
pcupdate = 20 December 2007
ntupdate = 20 December 2007

Nick Ward (born March 24, 1985 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) player. He last played as a attacking midfielder for Championship side Queens Park Rangers before signing for A-League club Melbourne Victory.

Club career

His efforts in the inaugural A-League season of 2005-06 resulted in him becoming the first player to win the A-League's Rising Star Award with Perth Glory, along with also winning the Perth Supporter's Player of the Year, and also the Smokefree WA Coach's Award. [cite web | title=Despotovski wins MGP Award | work=a-league.com | url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=3645 | accessdate=August 9 | accessyear=2006 ]

Following the end of the first A-League season, Nick Ward had trials with Leicester City however, much to the annoyance of Football Federation Australia, [cite web | title=Midfielder Ward seals move to QPR | work=bbc.co.uk | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/qpr/5119900.stm | accessdate=August 9 | accessyear=2006 ] he joined QPR in the English Championship prior to the 2006-07 season.

On January 31, 2007, the last day of the transfer window, Ward joined Brighton on loan for the remainder of the 2006/07 season. On 17th February, 2007, Ward scored his first goal for the Albion in their 2-1 home win over Nottingham Forest before returning to QPR.

On 4 December 2007, Ward's contract with QPR was terminated by mutual consent. He joined Melbourne Victory and he recently signed on as the Victory's youth marquee in a two-year deal. On 11 January 2008, Ward scored his first goal for the Melbourne Victory in their 3-0 home win over Wellington Phoenix.

International career

After his season had concluded with Perth Glory, Ward was selected by Australia in an extended squad for its opening Asian Cup qualifier with Bahrain. [cite web | title=Local players boosted | work=a-league.com | url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=3326 | accessdate=August 9 | accessyear=2006 ] Ward was named on the bench, but did not get used.

In December 2006 the then Socceroos manager Graham Arnold believed that Ward (lacking game time under the management of QPR at the time) should be playing either in the English Premier League or elsewhere in the top tier leagues in Europe, where there was (in Arnold's opinion) better ball delivery and midfield play than in the English Championship. [cite web
url=http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=21710
title=Arnold: QPR not the club for Ward
publisher=Tribal Football
accessdate=2006-12-15 ] Those comments could be interpreted as a preliminary reason not to select Ward in forthcoming Socceroos friendlies however since Ward has returned to the A-League and Arnold is no longer part of the international set-up, any such barriers to selection have been removed. Moreover Ward's inability to force his way into a QPR side which struggled for survival during his spell at the club and his failure to make any impact in the Championship would appear to be more rational explanations for his limited international experience.

Honours

With Perth Glory:
* NSL Championship: 2003-2004Personal Honours:
* A-League Young Player of the Year: 2005-2006
* Perth Glory Member's Player of the Year: 2005-2006

References

External links

* [http://www.melbournevictory.com.au/default.aspx?s=mvfc_playerprofile_item&pid=383 Melbourne Victory profile]
* [http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/MensU23/default.aspx?s=aus_u23men_player_profile&pid=383&tid=112 FFA - Olyroo profile]
*