Released Blues left-back Stephen Ward has joined League Two Walsall on a one-year contract.

The 35-year-old departed Portman Road at the end of 2020/21 having made 30 starts and one sub appearance in his only season with Town.

“It’s exciting,” the former Republic of Ireland international told the official Walsall website.

“I have been in with the lads training for a couple of days now, having a look at the place and I am really impressed with how the head coach [Matthew Taylor ] is trying to go about his business and his ambition for the season.

“I have been really impressed from speaking to the head coach and I am really excited to get going this year.”

Head Coach Taylor previously played alongside Ward at Burnley and is looking forward to working with him again.

“Stephen is someone who I have played with and has huge experience in the game,” he added.

“He’s a player that’s played at the top and for him to have a leadership role within the group in terms of what he can offer with his experience and more importantly, what he can offer on the pitch. We’re extremely happy to have someone of Stephen’s quality joining the club.

“The biggest thing for him is he wants to be part of the journey that we’re on at this football club so from my perspective, I’ve always spoken about good people first, followed by a good player and Stephen fits the mould.

“It will be great for other players in the group to learn from him because he’s a fantastic professional and somebody that’s got huge experience domestically and internationally but more importantly, he still wants to be successful and we hope he can help us to do that here.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Ipswichbusiness added 18:11 - Jul 9 Found his level.
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Pencilpete added 18:15 - Jul 9 Quality player in his day but sadly age has caught up with him. No bad feeling towards him, he wanted to carry on playing and hes got himself a club - fair play to him
12

Gforce added 18:16 - Jul 9 It's all now coming to light that we pretty much had a league two side playing for us last season.No wonder we were in the bottom six on current form over the last 12 games or so.
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Tractorboy58 added 18:25 - Jul 9 Good riddance ..found his level
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midastouch added 18:34 - Jul 9 The best squad in League One (so some said) has mostly ended up in League Two! In fairness to Ward, he started well for us but father time catches up with everybody in the end (just look at Federer in the quarter finals of Wimbledon). And Ward also showed a good professional attitude towards the end of last season by travelling with the squad and showing support for his team mates even when he was told his contract wasn't going to be renewed. As such, I wish him the best of luck at his new club.

17

BeattiesBackPocket added 18:38 - Jul 9 Wish him all the very best shame we never got him a few years earlier. As most on here with half a brain have been saying though it's another player who's found his level and gone to league two yet a few on here still think the team was good enough last two years even after finishing our lowest place in over 60 years and that it was Cooks fault last season 🙄

4

Gforce added 19:26 - Jul 9 Ashton mentioned in today's Eadt that the club are still looking to sign at least five more players, he also seemed confident that 3 to 4 of those deals were close to being completed. Great to hear, so hopefully an announcement or 3 next week!!
3

markchips added 19:33 - Jul 9 We move on. We certainly need the four players. Without them we have to make up the bench with iyoungsters.
0

itfchorry added 20:00 - Jul 9 All the best - The Plymouth away game showed that you still have it - As already mentioned- Shame you never played for the Town in better times -
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ringwoodblue added 20:43 - Jul 9 A true Pro, I wish him all the best in the twilight of his career.
6

Thebot added 21:04 - Jul 9 Yep all released players heading to league 2 and some say found their level. Lambert had that league 2 team in the top 6 of league 1 with a few games to go.
1

BeattiesBackPocket added 21:28 - Jul 9 Thebot I agree however we also finished 11th our lowest position in 60 plus years season before. Do I necessarily blame lambert no it's the constant selling of our best players and replacing them with people who are injury prone, past their best or cheapies from league two which we did for about 12 years under the old regime
1

Dog added 21:40 - Jul 9 Just checked past comments on the signing of Ward last year and the vast majority were happy with his signing but not the other 2 who signed on same day. Shame it did not work out. Good luck for next season.
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have_a_word_with_him added 00:57 - Jul 10 sorry but who cares?
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Eddie1985 added 03:52 - Jul 10 Don't think it's fair to say all of the exiles are going to league 2,dozell has gone up a division, downs only linked with championship clubs, lankester to same division, Bishop linked with clubs in L1 or spl, Lambert should have done better with that squad. Good luck to ward did nothing wrong just getting on a bit, clearly loves the game or he would hang up his boots

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Oldboy added 08:28 - Jul 10 Very good player in his day. Glad he can carry on playing the game he loves. Wish him well
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1RWR added 09:22 - Jul 10 Tractorboy58: you are a sour lemon aren't you. Why do you have to be so vile towards a former player, he's gone to another club, if you can't wish him all the best how about saying nothing at all, that would please an awful lot of people!
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