Official: Joel Ward will bid farewell to Crystal Palace this summer and end his 13-year club career

May 13th Crystal Palace officially announced that Joel Ward will bid farewell to Crystal Palace this summer and end his 13-year club career. Ward, 35, has almost never been absent from the club's top league history, and has played a key role in many important moments. Ward originally joined Crystal Palace from Portsmouth in the 2012-13 season, when the team was in the Championship. He played a big role in that successful season, helping the team advance to the Premier League, especially in the play-off finals at Wembley Stadium against Watford, where his goal line clearance was particularly critical.

The following season, Ward performed well in multiple positions, missing only two games to help the team succeed in relegation. He also won the Young Player of the Year Award for the 2013-14 season and played every minute in the FA Cup matches in the 2015-16 season, including a 120-minute final against Manchester United. In the following years, Ward has been a stable and reliable player on the team. In the 2023-24 season, he was appointed captain.

In April 2024, he became the first player in Crystal Palace to play 300 games in the Premier League. Ward made a total of 363 appearances for Crystal Palace, a number that put him in the eighth place in the club's history. He made 305 appearances in the Premier League of the Red and Blues, the most personal record in club history and scored 6 goals for the team. Last season, he received a special award from the Chairman for his outstanding contribution.

Club Chairman Steve Parrish said: "From the first day Ward joined Crystal Palace, he has been an outstanding representative of the football club: open, friendly, professional, and competitive, dynamic, and uncompromising in setting standards. In short, during his 13 years of service, Ward has been a role model for all Crystal Palace players with his values, presence and pride in the club. Good luck, Ward, looking forward to your next Thank you for your adventure."

In response, Ward said: "For me, wearing this jersey represents a great honor for this club. It was an incredible journey, full of wonderful memories and unforgettable moments that will remain in my memory forever. Although I came from other places, I have been in this club for so long and I feel like I am already a part of this big family. This is not goodbye, everyone will have a date later."