Joel Ward hoping to extend Crystal Palace stay – confirms talks ongoing

Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward is hopeful that he will extend his stay at Selhurst Park, with the 31-year-old’s contract set to expire at the beginning of July.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the When Eagles Dare Amazon Prime documentary, Ward said: “All I can do is focus on playing. I still believe there are many more years here at the club, and hopefully that can get resolved and sorted. I would like to think I have given everything I can to keep the club in the Premier League.

“We are in talks, and the club know where I stand, so hopefully things can move forward, and when things get tied up, we can enjoy the next few years.”

Should Ward commit his long-term future to the club, he will be playing under a new manager after Roy Hodgson stepped down at the end of the season, bringing his four-year reign to an end.

And Ward believes that whoever comes in to replace Hodgson will have a great foundation to build on.

“We are in a transitional stage and in a different position now going into the summer with changes on the horizon,” said Ward.

“As players, we just have to focus on what we can control, and that is our own performances and the way we conduct ourselves. Everything else is down to the hierarchy, the chairman and people involved in that process. I think the club has a great platform and a great foundation to build from.”

Ward, who featured 82 times under Hodgson, then praised the Croydon-born manager for his dedication to the club and touched on the emotional farewell that the 73-year-old received from the Palace faithful against Arsenal, adding: “For many of us, Roy is more than just a manager. He is someone who has helped me in my professional career, but also in my personal life as well. He is someone we can look to and have a conversation with. He has so much knowledge and wisdom to offer.

“For us as a club, he’s worked with us tirelessly and meticulously for the last four years. We’ve been working on things and making sure that we give ourselves the best chance and the best platform to build from going into a Premier League season.”

The five-part docuseries, which details the South Londoners’ rise from the brink of extinction to the Premier League, focuses on the key characters and moments which shaped Palace’s promotion push.

One of the most prominent aspects of the five episodes is the squad harmony that played such an influential role in Palace gaining promotion – it’s something Ward still looks back on with extreme fondness.

“The majority of people would have had us odds-on to go down and be fighting for our lives to stay in the Championship that season,” said Ward. “Peter Ramage put it right when he said it was a bunch of misfits brought together to create history.

“We had a great group of lads that took the club to a place where we could play in the Premier League. It was an almost impossible task and an impossible achievement. But we created something with that group, and the group going forward after that carried it on to maintain Premier League status.

“There are no dull moments at Crystal Palace, there are still no dull moments in the Premier League, and that is why it is the most loved league in the world because it’s so competitive and there are so many ups and downs – it has been an incredible journey.”

While the performance of Wilfried Zaha, the saves from Julian Speroni and the exquisite penalty from Kevin Phillips were seen as the vital moments that saw the Eagles win the play-off final against Watford, Ward’s 120th-minute header off the line – which denied the Hornets a guaranteed equaliser – was equally significant.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” adds Ward. “But it wasn’t just that, there were countless moments throughout that season. A lot of people stepped up to the plate, and even in that game, there were moments when people had to step up.

“You only have to look at Jules’ save, the performance of Wilf and even the likes of Stuart O’Keefe coming on early doors. There are so many moments in that game – it was written in the stars. Even talking about it now puts the hairs up on the back of my neck – it was such an emotional thing to go through.”

Ward, Palace’s second-highest appearance holder in Premier League history, has been a consistent starter since signing from Portsmouth in 2012. However, he was forced to relinquish his starting spot at right-back for the 2018-19 season due to the emergence of academy graduate Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and his place was under threat this summer when Nathan Ferguson and Nathaniel Clyne arrived.

But for Ward, it is challenges such as these which he relishes.

He said: ”The competition is healthy. I have always strived to raise my bar to be the best version of me and give everything I have got to give the club and to give myself the best opportunity.

“I have always tried to make sure my attitude – whether I am in or out of the team – is the same. Whether there is competition or not, my stance is always the same – to leave nothing left on the pitch.

“Now it’s getting to a point where I just want to continue playing. I love my football, and that will never change. I give everything. I will never not give 100 per cent in whatever I do.”

Should Ward pen a new deal with the Eagles, he will be awarded a testimonial for his dedication to the club – a night where the fans can thank Ward for his decade-long service.

”I feel very fortunate to have received the support I have from the club and from the supporters.

“The fanbase have been second to none and have always shown what they are all about – it’s a family club. It’s genuine people with a love for the game and love for the team they have followed all their lives with their families.

“I am fortunate that the clubs I have played at have incredible fans. Look at Portsmouth and now Palace – they are some of the best fans in the country, and they support you through the highs and lows. They are the ones who get you through those difficult times when you have your backs against the wall. They carry you through.”

When Eagles Dare is available on Amazon Prime from tomorrow.