Ashley Ward
| Date of birth | 24 November 1970 |
| Place of birth | Manchester |
| Nationality | English |
| Weight | 87 kg |
| Height | 1.88 m |
| Position | Forward |
Having joined Bradford City during the close season, Ashley started the first four matches of the 2000-01 campaign on the substitutes' bench before breaking into the starting line-up. He was a regular choice for the next three months until a thigh strain forced him to miss five matches. Although he showed tremendous work rate he found goals hard to come by, and it was not until November that he found the net, hitting a double in the Worthington Cup game against Newcastle. His first Premiership goal was even longer in coming - not until March in fact - but even so the Bantams' fans were won over by his non-stop running and enthusiasm.
Ashley's contract with Bradford City was cancelled by mutual consent in August 2003. He was quickly snapped up by Sheffield United in a two-year deal.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 05 Aug 1989 | 30 Jul 1991 | |
| Wrexham | 10 Jan 1991 | 09 Feb 1991 | L |
| Leicester City | 30 Jul 1991 | 01 Dec 1992 | |
| Blackpool | 21 Nov 1992 | 29 Nov 1992 | L |
| Crewe Alexandra | 01 Dec 1992 | 08 Dec 1994 | |
| Norwich City | 08 Dec 1994 | 19 Mar 1996 | |
| Derby County | 19 Mar 1996 | 05 Sep 1997 | |
| Barnsley | 05 Sep 1997 | 31 Dec 1998 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 31 Dec 1998 | 18 Aug 2000 | |
| Bradford City | 18 Aug 2000 | 06 Aug 2003 | |
| Sheffield United | 07 Aug 2003 | 30 Jun 2005 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | Leicester City | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 1991-92 | Leicester City | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Leicester City | League Division Two | 2 | 8 |
|||
| 1994-95 | Norwich City | Premier League | 25 | 8 |
5
|
||
| 1995-96 | Derby County | League Division 1 | 5 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 1995-96 | Norwich City | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Derby County | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1996-97 | Derby County | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1996-97 | Derby County | Premier League | 25 | 5 |
8 |
2
|
|
| 1997-98 | Barnsley | FA Cup | 6 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 1997-98 | Barnsley | League Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Barnsley | Premier League | 28 | 1 |
8 |
5
|
|
| 1997-98 | Derby County | Premier League | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1998-99 | Blackburn Rovers | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1998-99 | Blackburn Rovers | Premier League | 17 | 5 |
3
|
||
| 1999-00 | Blackburn Rovers | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Bradford City | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 2000-01 | Bradford City | Premier League | 24 | 9 |
4 |
8
|
|
| 2001-02 | Bradford City | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Bradford City | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Bradford City | League Division 1 | 27 | 10 |
11
|
||
| 2002-03 | Bradford City | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Bradford City | League Division 1 | 24 | 3 |
8
|
||
| 2003-04 | Sheffield United | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Sheffield United | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Sheffield United | League Division 1 | 20 | 3 |
4 |
7
|
|
| 2004-05 | Sheffield United | League Championship | 5 | 5 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2004-05 | Sheffield United | League Cup | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Mar 1996 | Norwich City v Derby County | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Mar 1996 | Derby County v Stoke City | W | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Apr 1996 | Ipswich Town v Derby County | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Apr 1996 | Charlton Athletic v Derby County | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Apr 1996 | Derby County v Birmingham City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Apr 1996 | Derby County v Crystal Palace | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 05 May 1996 | West Bromwich Albion v Derby County | L | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Sep 1996 | Derby County v Sunderland | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 17 Sep 1996 | Luton Town v Derby County | L | 1-0 | League Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 21 Sep 1996 | Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 25 Sep 1996 | Derby County v Luton Town | D |
2-2 Agg: 2-3 |
League Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 28 Sep 1996 | Derby County v Wimbledon | L | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 12 Oct 1996 | Derby County v Newcastle United | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 19 Oct 1996 | Nottingham Forest v Derby County | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 27 Oct 1996 | Liverpool v Derby County | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 02 Nov 1996 | Derby County v Leicester City | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 17 Nov 1996 | Derby County v Middlesbrough | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 23 Nov 1996 | West Ham United v Derby County | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 30 Nov 1996 | Derby County v Coventry City | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 07 Dec 1996 | Arsenal v Derby County | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 16 Dec 1996 | Derby County v Everton | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 21 Dec 1996 | Southampton v Derby County | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 1996 | Sunderland v Derby County | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Dec 1996 | Derby County v Blackburn Rovers | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 11 Jan 1997 | Wimbledon v Derby County | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 18 Jan 1997 | Chelsea v Derby County | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 19 Feb 1997 | Derby County v Sheffield Wednesday | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 22 Feb 1997 | Leicester City v Derby County | L | 4-2 | Premier League | |
| 26 Feb 1997 | Derby County v Coventry City | W | 3-2 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 01 Mar 1997 | Derby County v Chelsea | W | 3-2 | Premier League | |
| 05 Mar 1997 | Middlesbrough v Derby County | L | 6-1 | Premier League | |
| 08 Mar 1997 | Derby County v Middlesbrough | L | 0-2 | FA Cup | Quarter-final |
| 15 Mar 1997 | Everton v Derby County | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 22 Mar 1997 | Derby County v Tottenham Hotspur | W | 4-2 | Premier League | |
| 05 Apr 1997 | Manchester United v Derby County | W | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 09 Apr 1997 | Derby County v Southampton | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 12 Apr 1997 | Derby County v Aston Villa | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 19 Apr 1997 | Newcastle United v Derby County | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 23 Apr 1997 | Derby County v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 03 May 1997 | Coventry City v Derby County | W | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 11 May 1997 | Derby County v Arsenal | L | 1-3 | Premier League | |
| 09 Aug 1997 | Blackburn Rovers v Derby County | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 23 Aug 1997 | Tottenham Hotspur v Derby County | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 30 Aug 1997 | Derby County v Barnsley | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.