Ashley Ward facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ashley Stuart Ward | ||
| Date of birth | 24 November 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Middleton, Lancashire, England | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cheadle Town | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1991 | Manchester City | 1 | (0) |
| 1991 | → Wrexham (loan) | 4 | (2) |
| 1991–1992 | Leicester City | 10 | (0) |
| 1992 | → Blackpool (loan) | 2 | (1) |
| 1992–1994 | Crewe Alexandra | 61 | (25) |
| 1994–1996 | Norwich City | 53 | (18) |
| 1996–1997 | Derby County | 40 | (9) |
| 1997–1998 | Barnsley | 46 | (20) |
| 1998–2000 | Blackburn Rovers | 54 | (13) |
| 2000–2003 | Bradford City | 84 | (17) |
| 2003–2005 | Sheffield United | 33 | (5) |
| Total | 388 | (110) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ashley Ward, born on November 24, 1970, is a former English professional football player. He was a talented centre forward, known for scoring goals. Ashley played for many famous teams during his career. These included Norwich City, Derby County, Barnsley, Blackburn Rovers, and Bradford City in the Premier League. He also played in the Football League for clubs like Wrexham and Sheffield United.
Contents
Ashley Ward: A Football Journey
Ashley Ward's football career began in his youth. He grew up to become a well-known striker. He played for several teams across England's top football leagues.
Early Life and First Steps
Ashley Ward was born in Middleton, Lancashire. His father was an engineer who worked in coal mining. Ashley went to William Hulme's Grammar School. Interestingly, this school focused on rugby and lacrosse as its main sports, not football.
Starting His Football Career
Ashley had a short time with Manchester United in the 1986–87 season. He played 16 games for their Junior B team. After that, he played for Cheadle Town Youth. He then decided to join Manchester City as a young player. He chose Manchester City over an offer from Blackburn Rovers.
Making a Name at Crewe Alexandra
After playing for Leicester City, Ashley moved to Crewe Alexandra. This is where he really started to shine. He made his first appearance for Crewe on December 8, 1992. He scored his first goal for the club on March 12, 1993. He scored five more goals before that season ended.
In the next season, even with some injuries, he scored 13 goals in 24 games. One of his most important goals was the winner against Chester City. This goal helped Crewe get promoted to a higher division. He continued his great form into the 1994–1995 season. He scored in six games in a row for Crewe, including two games where he scored three goals (hat-tricks).
Premier League Adventures
In December 1994, Norwich City signed Ashley for £350,000. He made an amazing start, scoring two goals in his first game against Chelsea. He scored another goal in his second game. He finished that season with eight goals in 25 games. He then scored 10 more league goals before moving to Derby County in March 1996.
Ashley helped Derby County in their 1996-97 Premier League season. He scored a late winning goal against Chelsea. Another memorable goal was when Derby beat Manchester United 3–2 at their home stadium, Old Trafford.
Time at Barnsley and Other Clubs
In September 1997, Barnsley signed Ashley from Derby County. This was shortly after Barnsley had been promoted to the Premier League. During Barnsley's first season in the Premier League, Ashley scored some very important goals. These included the only goals in 1–0 wins against Liverpool and Aston Villa.
Ashley continued his career with spells at Blackburn Rovers, Bradford City, and Sheffield United. He retired from professional football in the summer of 2005.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Ashley Ward started new ventures. He and his wife, Dawn, who is known from the TV show The Real Housewives of Cheshire, run several businesses together.
They have a business that deals with commercial properties. They also operate a nursing home called Abafields in Bolton. Ashley also manages a company that builds and renovates luxury homes. This company was started in 2002 and has worked on homes for footballers like Kevin Campbell and Wayne Rooney.
Possible Wrexham Involvement
In March 2011, there were talks that Ashley Ward might be interested in buying the football club Wrexham.
Honours
Individual
- Barnsley Player of the Year: 1997–98
