A former Aston Villa trainee has opened up on how he rejected joining Wrexham in League Two in a move which actually turned out to be beneficial in the long run
A former Aston Villa youth player has confessed that he rejected a move to Wrexham, although he can’t quite remember why. Jamie Ward rose through the ranks at the Premier League club in the early 2000s before turning pro in 2005.
Despite captaining Villa’s reserves, the forward never made it onto the pitch for the first team and was loaned out to Stockport County in League Two in March of the following year. After being released by Villa in the summer of 2006, Ward’s impressive performances in the fourth tier caught the eye of several clubs.
This sparked a tug-of-war between Wrexham, Stockport and Torquay United for his signature. The former Northern Ireland international, who spent most of his career in the Championship with teams like Derby County and Nottingham Forest, took some time to weigh up his options.
However, while Wrexham are now an appealing prospect under the stewardship of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, he decided against a move to north Wales at the time, choosing Torquay instead. During a recent appearance on the Undr The Cosh podcast, Ward hinted at some regret over his decision, admitting that he had been impressed by Wrexham’s home ground.
“After the Stockport loan, I was done at Villa,” he said. “Getting in that environment and knowing that I was actually capable of playing league football at a young age was the kick up the backside I probably needed.
“I had Stockport, Wrexham and Torquay after me, and I decided to go to Torquay. I was worried about Stockport struggling again, so that’s why I didn’t go there. I actually don’t know why I didn’t choose Wrexham, because the stadium was nice.
“I think the thing that swung it for me at Torquay is that the manager was from Birmingham, so he knew how far I was away from home. He said to me, ‘Listen, if you’re ever struggling and you want to go home for a few days, all you have to do is tell me.’
“That was a nice option to have where you can just get in the car, get up the road free and you’re back with your family three hours later.”
Ward’s stint at Torquay turned out to be brief due to an ownership change and the appointment of a new manager shortly after his arrival. He requested a transfer in December 2006 and subsequently moved to Chesterfield the next month.
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Despite some regrets about not choosing Wrexham, Ward’s choice ultimately proved fortuitous. The 2006/07 season saw Wrexham face difficulties, with their form dipping and manager Denis Smith being dismissed in January 2007.
Brian Carey, his successor, narrowly kept the club in League Two with a 3-1 home victory over Boston United on the final day of the season. However, their relief was short-lived as Wrexham fell out of the Football League in 2008 and spent 15 years in exile in non-league’s top tier.
Ward, on the other hand, enjoyed a more positive trajectory after his performances for Chesterfield caught the attention of Championship team Sheffield United. He later had stints with Derby and Forest before playing for several non-league sides in the twilight years of his career.
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