Ward reveals role handed to him in dramatic injury time

First-team

6 Apr 2025

Joel Ward’s first Premier League appearance of the season could hardly have come in more dramatic circumstances – nor had a sweeter result.

With Palace 2-1 up heading into injury time against their great rivals Brighton & Hove Albion – but having lost Maxence Lacroix to injury; and both Eddie Nketiah and, seconds after Ward’s arrival, Marc Guéhi, to two yellow cards – the last thing Selhurst Park wanted to see was 12 minutes of additional time signalled.

But with Guéhi handing him the captain’s armband as the 35-year-old entered the pitch – having previously featured just once this season, on the 27th August in the Carabao Cup win over Norwich City, due to long-term injury – Ward’s leadership came to the fore in the most challenging of circumstances.

Now in his 13th season at the club, Ward continued his incredible run of never having part of a losing Palace side to Brighton, marshalling the Eagles’ backline to hold firm in the lengthy stoppage time and seal a first-ever top-flight league double over the Seagulls.

Ward explained that, as he prepared to come on, manager Oliver Glasner told him: “To probably use the experience, to communicate and talk and just try and lead the lads to the victory.

“I think when you come into that scenario, you've just got to lean on all that you've learned over your career and it was all credit to the boys. They settled into that really nicely and it was a dogged performance, especially in that last few minutes.

“I think it's one of those ones. I think you just go into, what can we do to give ourselves the best chance? We work on it time and time again, where you work overloads in training and you have to defend your box and sometimes your back's up against a rope.

“Everyone put in a huge shift and it showed the mentality of the lads today to dig in and obviously put their bodies on the line as well.

“[Ben] Chilly's boxed a couple of big opportunities, [Will] Hughes has done the same, Deano’s [Henderson] pulled off some great saves, and everyone was out there to get the three points.

“It's massive. Obviously, I think the nature of the game, what it means for the fans, but how things played out, especially in that second-half. Losing two players, it was huge for us to dig in deep and come together and obviously see that game out.”

Ward was understandably delighted to have made his first Premier League appearance for Palace this season, saying: “Obviously, it's great to get back out on the pitch. I love what I do and I'm very fortunate and very blessed. I don't take it for granted.

“These fans mean so much and it's certainly been an incredible journey as well. I've enjoyed every minute and today was just icing on the cake to come on and get an applause and to see the game out, get the three points and make history as well.

“It [Palace’s first potential league double over Brighton since 1933] had been mentioned, and it was down to us then to execute it.

“I know we've been close in times over the years, but today there was a certain buzz about the place and we knew that we could get across the line. Thankfully, we've done that, and we go down into the history books.

“I expect nothing less [than that atmosphere] from these fans. They've done it time and time again, year after year. That's why they get the recognition that they do and they get the plaudits that they do, especially from us players as well.”

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