Darren Ward
| Date of birth | 11 May 1974 |
| Place of birth | Worksop |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Weight | 90 kg |
| Height | 1.88 m |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
Ward was once again in fine form for Notts County in 2000-01 and despite having a spell out through injury he produced his usual quota of superb displays, saving the Magpies time and time again.
An accomplished shot stopper he was out of contract in the summer of 2001 and signed for local rivals Nottingham Forest.
Ward joined Norwich City in August 2004 with a two-year contract.
He joined Sunderland in August 2006 in a one-year deal.
His Black Cats contract was extended to June 2009 in March 2007.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mansfield Town | 27 Jul 1992 | 11 Jul 1995 | |
| Notts County | 11 Jul 1995 | 18 May 2001 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 18 May 2001 | 06 Aug 2004 | |
| Norwich City | 06 Aug 2004 | 30 Jun 2006 | |
| Sunderland | 04 Aug 2006 | 30 Jun 2009 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 02 Mar 2009 | 31 May 2009 | L |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Clean sheets | Conceded | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | Mansfield Town | League Cup | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 1995-96 | Notts County | League Cup | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Notts County | FA Cup | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Notts County | League Cup | 2 | 9 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Notts County | FA Cup | 5 | 6 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Notts County | League Cup | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 2000-01 | Notts County | League Division 2 | 35 | 8 | 43 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | Nottingham Forest | FA Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Nottingham Forest | League Cup | 3 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 2001-02 | Nottingham Forest | League Division 1 | 46 | 6 | 50 | |||
| 2002-03 | Nottingham Forest | FA Cup | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Nottingham Forest | League Cup | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 2002-03 | Nottingham Forest | League Division 1 | 45 | 12 | 47 | |||
| 2002-03 | Nottingham Forest | League Division 1 Play-Offs | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Nottingham Forest | FA Cup | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 2003-04 | Nottingham Forest | League Cup | 3 | 3 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Nottingham Forest | League Division 1 | 32 | 4 | 41 | |||
| 2004-05 | Norwich City | Premier League | 1 |
|||||
| 2005-06 | Norwich City | FA Cup | 1 |
|||||
| 2005-06 | Norwich City | League Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Sunderland | FA Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Sunderland | League Championship | 30 | 10 | 27 | |||
| 2007-08 | Sunderland | League Cup | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Sunderland | Premier League | 3 | 1 | 3 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Aug 2001 | Barnsley v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Aug 2001 | Hartlepool United v Nottingham Forest | W | 0-2 | League Cup | 1st round |
| 25 Aug 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace | W | 4-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 27 Aug 2001 | Coventry City v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Sep 2001 | Norwich City v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 12 Sep 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Stockport County | W | 1-1 (8-7) | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 15 Sep 2001 | Grimsby Town v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Sep 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Rotherham United | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Sep 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Bradford City | W | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Sep 2001 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Sep 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Stockport County | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Oct 2001 | Bolton Wanderers v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 13 Oct 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Burnley | W | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Oct 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Birmingham City | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Oct 2001 | Millwall v Nottingham Forest | D | 3-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Oct 2001 | Watford v Nottingham Forest | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Oct 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Manchester City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 31 Oct 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Sheffield Wednesday | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Nov 2001 | West Bromwich Albion v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 11 Nov 2001 | Walsall v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Nov 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Preston North End | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Nov 2001 | Crewe Alexandra v Nottingham Forest | W | 0-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Nov 2001 | Portsmouth v Nottingham Forest | L | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Dec 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Watford | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Dec 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Gillingham | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Dec 2001 | Wimbledon v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Dec 2001 | Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Dec 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Norwich City | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Dec 2001 | Nottingham Forest v Coventry City | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Jan 2002 | Birmingham City v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 05 Jan 2002 | Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 12 Jan 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Barnsley | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 19 Jan 2002 | Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Jan 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Portsmouth | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Feb 2002 | Stockport County v Nottingham Forest | W | 1-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 Feb 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Millwall | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Feb 2002 | Burnley v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Feb 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Grimsby Town | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Feb 2002 | Bradford City v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Mar 2002 | Rotherham United v Nottingham Forest | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Mar 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 Mar 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Wimbledon | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Mar 2002 | Gillingham v Nottingham Forest | L | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Mar 2002 | Nottingham Forest v West Bromwich Albion | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Mar 2002 | Manchester City v Nottingham Forest | L | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Apr 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Walsall | L | 2-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Apr 2002 | Sheffield Wednesday v Nottingham Forest | W | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Apr 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Crewe Alexandra | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Apr 2002 | Preston North End v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 Aug 2002 | Portsmouth v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Aug 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Preston North End | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Aug 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Sheffield Wednesday | W | 4-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 24 Aug 2002 | Walsall v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Aug 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Wimbledon | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 31 Aug 2002 | Coventry City v Nottingham Forest | W | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 11 Sep 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Kidderminster Harriers | W | 4-0 | League Cup | 1st round |
| 14 Sep 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Watford | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Sep 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Gillingham | W | 4-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Sep 2002 | Grimsby Town v Nottingham Forest | W | 0-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Sep 2002 | Stoke City v Nottingham Forest | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Sep 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Rotherham United | W | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Oct 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Walsall | L | 1-2 | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 05 Oct 2002 | Millwall v Nottingham Forest | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Oct 2002 | Derby County v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Oct 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Leicester City | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Oct 2002 | Norwich City v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 02 Nov 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United | W | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 09 Nov 2002 | Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Nov 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Bradford City | W | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Nov 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 27 Nov 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Brighton and Hove Albion | W | 3-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Nov 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 07 Dec 2002 | Burnley v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Dec 2002 | Bradford City v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Dec 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Reading | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Dec 2002 | Sheffield Wednesday v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Dec 2002 | Nottingham Forest v Portsmouth | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Jan 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Walsall | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Jan 2003 | West Ham United v Nottingham Forest | L | 3-2 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 18 Jan 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Coventry City | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Jan 2003 | Preston North End v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Feb 2003 | Wimbledon v Nottingham Forest | W | 2-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Feb 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace | W | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Feb 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Stoke City | W | 6-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Mar 2003 | Watford v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Mar 2003 | Gillingham v Nottingham Forest | W | 1-4 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 Mar 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Grimsby Town | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 15 Mar 2003 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 19 Mar 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Derby County | W | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Mar 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Norwich City | W | 4-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 05 Apr 2003 | Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest | W | 3-4 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Apr 2003 | Leicester City v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 11 Apr 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 15 Apr 2003 | Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Apr 2003 | Reading v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Apr 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Burnley | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Apr 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Millwall | D | 3-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 10 May 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 Play-Offs | Semi-final 1st leg |
| 15 May 2003 | Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest | L |
4-3 Agg: 5-4 |
League Division 1 Play-Offs | Semi-final 2nd leg |
| 09 Aug 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Sunderland | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 12 Aug 2003 | Port Vale v Nottingham Forest | W | 0-0 (3-2) | League Cup | 1st round |
| 16 Aug 2003 | Reading v Nottingham Forest | L | 3-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Aug 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Cardiff City | L | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 27 Aug 2003 | Coventry City v Nottingham Forest | W | 1-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 30 Aug 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Norwich City | W | 2-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Sep 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United | W | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 16 Sep 2003 | Burnley v Nottingham Forest | W | 0-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 20 Sep 2003 | Crewe Alexandra v Nottingham Forest | L | 3-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 23 Sep 2003 | Tranmere Rovers v Nottingham Forest | W | 0-0 (4-1) | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 27 Sep 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Derby County | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 01 Oct 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Preston North End | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Oct 2003 | Stoke City v Nottingham Forest | L | 2-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Oct 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Rotherham United | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 18 Oct 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Wimbledon | W | 6-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Oct 2003 | West Ham United v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Oct 2003 | Bradford City v Nottingham Forest | W | 1-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Oct 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Portsmouth | L | 2-4 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 01 Nov 2003 | Millwall v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 04 Nov 2003 | Walsall v Nottingham Forest | L | 4-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 08 Nov 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Watford | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 22 Nov 2003 | Wigan Athletic v Nottingham Forest | D | 2-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 29 Nov 2003 | Nottingham Forest v West Bromwich Albion | L | 0-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Dec 2003 | Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 06 Dec 2003 | Watford v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 13 Dec 2003 | Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 26 Dec 2003 | Norwich City v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 28 Dec 2003 | Nottingham Forest v West Ham United | L | 0-2 | League Division 1 | |
| 03 Jan 2004 | Nottingham Forest v West Bromwich Albion | W | 1-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 10 Jan 2004 | Sunderland v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 17 Jan 2004 | Nottingham Forest v Reading | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Jan 2004 | Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United | L | 0-3 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 31 Jan 2004 | Cardiff City v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
| 07 Feb 2004 | Nottingham Forest v Coventry City | L | 0-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 14 Feb 2004 | Nottingham Forest v Walsall | D | 3-3 | League Division 1 | |
| 21 Feb 2004 | Rotherham United v Nottingham Forest | D | 1-1 | League Division 1 | |
| 25 Feb 2004 | Nottingham Forest v Gillingham | D | 0-0 | League Division 1 | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Clean sheets | Conceded | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | Wales | UEFA Under-21 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 1998-99 | Wales | B International | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Wales | International Friendly | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Wales | International Friendly | 1 | |||||
| 2002-03 | Wales | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
2 | |||
| 2003-04 | Wales | International Friendly | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Sep 1995 | Wales v Moldova | W | 1-0 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 7 |
| 10 Oct 1995 | Wales v Germany | L | 1-5 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 7 |
| 09 Feb 1999 | Wales v Northern Ireland | W | 1-0 | B International | |
| 02 Jun 2000 | Portugal v Wales | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Wales v Czech Republic | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Feb 2003 | Wales v Bosnia and Herzegovina | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 26 May 2003 | USA v Wales | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Feb 2004 | Wales v Scotland | W | 4-0 | International Friendly | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.