Championship side Wrexham have confirmed the signing of 32-year-old goalkeeper Danny Ward.
The Welshman moves back to Wrexham after 13 years away from the club, where he has played for the likes of Premier League clubs Liverpool and Leicester City, as well as picking up multiple appearances at international level.
Ward has signed a two-year contract at the STōK Cae Ras Stadium, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2026/27 season.
He joins the Red Dragons after leaving the Foxes after seven years.
A New Chapter For Danny Ward
Ward has experience on some of the highest stages, featuring in Euro 2016, Euro 2020, and the FIFA 2022 World Cup, as well as the Premier League and the Europa League.
He spent six years on Merseyside with Liverpool, experiencing loan spells at Morecambe, Aberdeen and Huddersfield Town, before eventually departing Anfield to join Leicester in 2018.
He spent seven years at the King Power Stadium, departing this summer, where he has now been picked up by his boyhood club, Wrexham. On joining the club, Ward said:
“It’s an exciting time and an amazing feeling to be back at the Club. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity that the Club gave me at an early age, and I hope I can repay that.”
Manager Phil Parkinson had a lot of praise for the 32-year-old:
“We’re delighted to welcome Danny back to Wrexham. He’s a keeper with a lot of experience, and he’s going to be a great addition to the squad.”
Wrexham Getting Championship Ready
After back-to-back-to-back promotions under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Parkinson and his team will now be looking to first establish the side as a stable Championship side before looking towards fighting for Premier League promotion.
There’s no doubt about the big amount of money that the club have put into the transfer budget for Parkinson to spend, with the club linked to some high-profile players, already bringing in Ryan Hardie from Plymouth Argyle for an undisclosed fee.
On top of that, excess players such as Will Boyle, who has joined Shrewsbury Town, and Paul Mullin, who has joined Wigan Athletic, have departed the club, freeing up wages and adding more money to the budget.
It is clear that no one at Wrexham is messing around this summer, with the club having such high ambitions as a club.
The addition of Ward will add more Championship experience, this time to their goalkeeping department, which currently features Arthur Okonkwo and Callum Burton, neither of which have Championship experience.
Writer’s View
With both the wage and transfer budget that Wrexham have, it’s no shock to see them signing experienced players ahead of the 25/26 campaign. Although Ward may not play a big part on the pitch, he certainly will off the pitch.
This is a deal which makes sense for both parties, with Ward returning to his boyhood club, whilst Wrexham pick up a talented player on a free transfer.
