When Jurgen Klopp made the decision to keep three senior goalkeepers at the club, it was obvious that one of them would end up being starved of opportunities, and it’s clearly Danny Ward.
The 24-year-old had a wonderful loan spell with Huddersfield last season, keeping 12 clean sheets in 46 games and put in a heroic performance in the play-off final to help fire Huddersfield to the Premier League.
David Wagner was eager to bring Ward back to the John Smith’s Stadium this season but Klopp blocked the move and Ward was retained as the third choice ‘keeper.
With Simon Mignolet on Premier League duty and Loris Karius firmly entrenched as his No.2 and given Champions League football, Ward has had to settle for domestic cup action, making just one appearance this season which came in the Reds’ 2-0 defeat to Leicester in the Carabao Cup third round.
Speaking about his situation, Ward admits it’s been hard to watch things from the sidelines.
You want to play as a footballer but these things happen and it’s part of the business you are in, especially as a goalkeeper. The situation is what it is. I obviously miss playing but it’s just a case of sink or swim.
You either accept it and let things start to dwindle, or you back yourself, train as hard as you can and try to improve yourself to ultimately be in the team at the end of the week.
It’s a mentality thing—it’s difficult to watch from the side but it’s football, and sometimes you just have to swallow it.
Ward joined Liverpool in January 2012 in a £110,000 deal from Wrexham and has been capped three times for Wales since despite making just three senior appearances for Liverpool.
Contracted until 2021, it’s likely that Ward won’t feature again until the FA Cup in January, injury providing, and it’s not unreasonable to suggest he could seek a transfer if the situation doesn’t change.
