Stephen Ward: Our will to win is fierce

In three years, Stephen Ward has gone from training on his local beach to gracing the same pitch as Cristiano Ronaldo.

But the 25-year-old is convinced the sands of time have not diminished the' fierce will of Wolves players to win.

Tomorrow sees Ward return to the club where he started his career, Bohemians, for the first time in those 36 months. And how times have changed.

From the 21 players involved the last time Wolves faced the League of Ireland club, just six remain at Molineux - Ward, Wayne Hennessey, Matt Murray, Jody Craddock, Michael Kightly and Andy Keogh.

Those who have left include Darren Ward, Seyi Olofinjana, Darren Potter, Freddy Eastwood and Lee Collins.

At Bohs, just three players remain from Ward's time there — Ken Oman, Jason McGuinness and Conor Powell, all defenders. Personnel is not all that has changed however.

From being based on the beach at his native Portmarnock, Ward now finds himself surrounded by palatial luxury at Wolves' Irish hideaway on the outskirts of Dublin in Maynooth, amid 1,100 stunning acres.

Real Madrid - complete with Ronaldo - as well as Tottenham have used the facility recently.

"It's been a journey for both Wolves and Bohemians - there aren't many players in either squad who were there three years ago or when I played for them just before that," said Ward.

"There are only three there at Bohs and our squad has changed a hell of a lot. I think it shows how far we've come under the gaffer.

"When we first came to Ireland, I'd only been here for six months and the squad was still growing. We were a really young squad — which it still is — but we've all grown up and we've come back here as a Premier League club that's stayed up.

"But I still think we're the same sort of club — we're still young and hungry and all of the lads the gaffer has brought in want to prove themselves at the highest level.

"When I first signed, everyone was hungry for success and we've just built on that. Thankfully we're back as a Premier League club rather than a Championship one.

"I suppose it's just the way football is these days — there aren't many players such as Ryan Giggs who stay at one club for their whole career.

"People tend to move on a lot more and it's quite sad because one day your friend is at the club and the next, he could be gone."

Ward insisted the players have embraced the 'young and hungry' mantle and ran with it.

"The last time we were here, we trained on the beach at Portmarnock which is where I'm from ," he said. "This facility wasn't even built when we came last time.

"Since then it's attracted teams such as Real Madrid, Tottenham and Newcastle and I suppose it shows just far the club has come. We're here as a Premier League club and we're being touted to come to places like this.

"So maybe the standing of the club has changed but I don't think any of the lads have.

"Everyone's feet are firmly planted in the ground because it's the type of club where you can never get ahead of yourself because the gaffer knows we still have a lot to prove.

"We stayed up last season but people say the second season in the Premier League is always the hardest.

"So we'll be looking to improve on 15th spot which I felt was a fabulous achievement.

"If we can better that then great, but even if we match that it will be a step towards becoming an established Premier League club."

Having recovered from a twice-operated cartilage problem, Ward is well down the road to being fully fit but he has arguably his stiffest battle to come.

The arrival of £2.5m Jelle van Damme means there is a logjam of left-backs leaving the Belgium international, Ward, George Elokobi, Matt Hill and Scott Malone to slug it out for the number three jersey.

"I wouldn't say left-back is where the competition is greatestt — it's everywhere," he said.

"We've got four or five top quality strikers, wingers and midfielders, and a couple of lads can play right-back and centre-back so I think it's hard everywhere.

"When you're at a Premier League club, you know there's going to be competition for every position.

"The gaffer could have brought in three or left-backs but the most important thing for me was just to get back fit.

"I'm just looking forward to getting back in there and if the gaffer needs me in any position, I'll be there to hopefully do a job for him."

Talking of McCarthy, Ward believes he and his team-mates have convinced the Molineux chief that he didn't need to invest in lots of signings this summer — because he already has the talent at his fingertips following last season's survival act.

"I think playing in the Premier League for a season was important for a lot of the lads," said Ward. "When I got injured, I'd only played three games at this level and when I came back, I really wanted to prove I could more than hold my own.

"So to play 22 Premier League games in a season where I missed three and a half months was quite pleasing.

"Even though very few of us had played in the Premier League, a lot of the lads have proved themselves to be great assets to the club.

"I think that's why there haven't been too many signings either. We needed to bring in a few, but there haven't been wholesale changes because the gaffer, staff and players know we can do a job in this league."