Darren Ward (footballer born 1974)

Darren Ward ( born May 11, 1974 in Worksop, England ) is a former Welsh footballer. The goalkeeper stood until 2009 when English club Sunderland AFC under contract.

Club career

Ward began his professional career at Mansfield Town and moved in 1995 for £ 150,000 to Notts County, where he came up 252 league appearances in the following six seasons. In 1997 he joined the club from the Football League Second Division (3rd League ) in the Third Division (4th league) from, but returned after just one season back in the third league back. In 2001, Ward free transfer to city rivals Nottingham Forest in the First Division (2nd Division), where he spent nearly three years as a goalkeeper. After an injury in February 2004 Paul Gerrard was as a replacement first borrowed and committed for the 2004/ 05 season.

Ward then left the club and was hired for £ 250,000 by the Premier League club Norwich City, but there was no time to pass to Robert Green and Paul Gallacher. So he came in two years, only twice as a substitute for the train, be Erstligadebüt he gave it on 13 November 2004, when he came off the bench in the 0-4 defeat at Charlton Athletic after 63 minutes for Green and still suffered two goals.

After his contract expired in 2006 and was not extended from Norwich, he graduated in Barnsley, Sheffield United and Leeds United tryouts, but could not recommend for a contract for all three clubs. Ultimately, he signed a one year contract at second division Sunderland. There he could replace Ben Alnwick as goalkeeper of the Black Cats in October 2006 and returned at the end of the season as champions back in the Premier League. For the season 2007/ 08 Sunderland undertook the Scottish goalkeeper Craig Gordon for nine million pounds which Ward moved to the bench. After a series of defeats continued Manager Roy Keane Ward in three league games in December 2007, but subsequently withdrew Gordon Welsh keeper again before. In March 2009, Ward 2008/ 09 closed until the end of the season on loan to second division side Wolverhampton Wanderers on. There he was, however, an injury not used and returned to Sunderland. In the summer of 2009, the 35 -year-old Darren Ward ended his playing career.

National

After an application for Wales B in February 1999 against Northern Ireland B ( Full 1-0), debuted the keeper 2000 Welsh National Dress up against Portugal. Overall, it was used between 2000 and 2005 in five friendly matches. Most recently, he was appointed in February 2007 for the European Championship qualifiers against Ireland and San Marino in the squad but had to cancel due to injury.