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SCMP Reporter

FEW players will have as much to look back on as Derby County's Ashley Ward as 1997 begins.

This time last year he was an English First Division player at a club on the slide, today he is a Premier League player with a club beginning to rise.

In between he has been transferred, become a father, moved house and undergone an operation.

In January, Ward was playing for Norwich in the First Division but all was not well. 'Things had started to go wrong at the end of 1995,' said Ward. 'We were high in the table and about to play at Leicester when we were told Martin O'Neill had left the club. It was a shock. Things went downhill from then on.

'We dropped right out of the promotion race and lost to Birmingham in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.'  February brought little cheer on the playing front as Carrow Road was racked by protest with fans turning on Robert Chase, the club's chairman.

 But Ward became a dad.

'The fans had been brilliant down the years but they were now frustrated at what was going on. The only way they could vent their anger was at the games but it was the players who were placed under pressure.

'My daughter was born on the 25th. Dawn, my wife, and I called her Darby.' It must have been an omen. In March, Ward was sold to Derby for GBP1 million. Ward and then Norwich manager Gary Megson were surprised - and Ward's first game was at Norwich.

 'There had been bits in the paper about clubs being after me but I didn't take much notice because the manager had said I was not going to be sold. I had even agreed to buy a house.

 'But the players did not know how bad the financial situation was. The chairman had to come up with some money so he sold me and John Newsome.

 'The first game was a nightmare, I couldn't believe it when I saw it on the fixture list. We lost and I should have scored. But the Norwich crowd were fantastic. They knew the transfer was the chairman's decision, and gave me a great reception.

 'It was a good move though. Derby were threatening to go up, there was a new stadium on the cards. Unlike Norwich it looked like a club going forward.

 'The Norwich lads tell me they are all trying for babies and they are going to name them Lazio or Barcelona.'  In April, Derby were promoted but Ward struggled to make an impact.

 'I picked up a virus which made it difficult to train. We went up but I did not really feel part of it. We had an open-top bus ride and a few parties but the celebration was for the lads who did it over 10 months.'  In May, Ward scored his first goal for Derby. 'I scored at West Brom. It was nice to get off the mark. With hindsight it would have been a nightmare if I hadn't as I didn't play again until September.'  June and July were holidays and pre-season for the Wards with a bit of house hunting thrown in for good measure.

 In August, Ward missed the start of the season after an operation. 'I had just finished all the pre-season running when I had to have a double hernia op. I think I had the problem at Norwich.

 'It meant I missed the Manchester United game. My dad's a fan - I'm City, after all, I'm from Manchester.

 'I started at City. I joined at 16, broke my leg, then got into the first team squad and made a couple of substitute appearances before breaking the other leg. That took longer to recover from and as soon as I was fit they sold me to Leicester.' In September, Ward started playing again. 'I finally got fit. It had been so frustrating being out. It matters more at a new club because they have not seen me. They could be asking - 'what have we paid for him for? Does he play?''  In October, Ward settled in to the team.

  'I began playing on my own up front as Dean Sturridge was injured but when he returned we got a good partnership going.'  In November, Ward started to hit the back of the net. 'I scored when we beat Leicester. I had played them a few times since I left and it had always been okay. I left because I was young and impatient. I wanted to play first team football. Crewe came in and offered to pay Leicester what they paid City: GBP80,000.

 'I also scored at Anfield. It's one of those places where you dream about playing at when you're growing up.'  In December, Ward suffered a series of mixed fortunes. 'We were unlucky not to win at Arsenal. I hit the bar, they equalised in injury time. We were playing some decent football.

  'People think teams that come up just battle and scrap but it's nice to play some football. Paul McGrath's been a key signing.' 



Ward looks back on year of wonders