Big, exciting era awaits says Ward
CRYSTAL PALACE star Joel Ward insists he has complete faith in the club’s hierarchy to make it a good final month in the transfer window.
The Premier League big guns are circling over Selhurst Park as they target England pair Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze – both valued at the £60million mark.
Having already lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich this summer, Oliver Glasner’s outfit are desperate not to see any other prized assets depart.
But whatever happens between now and deadline day on August 31,
Ward (right) is confident the Palace board will cope with the situation.
The Eagles full-back, now in his 12th year with the club, said: “Football is a crazy world. Things can change in the blink of the eye.
“But how Palace have done things in the past and done things recently, the recruitment has been brilliant.
“The lads coming in are excellent – and we have the platform and foundation to really kick on.
“It’s always a challenge when players are attracting interest.
“We want to keep them because they are integral to the future and the success of the football club.”
Ward, 34, reckons that following last season’s explosive finish under then-new boss Glasner, this is potentially the most exciting era in more than a decade at the club.
The Selhurst Park skipper, talking after yesterday’s 6-3 pre-season victory at League One Crawley, went on: “For sure, this is definitely it.
“You look back at the end of the season, how things were going so well and with our style of play under the coach.
“We showed then we could toe-to-toe against anyone. Now the challenge is to keep that momentum going – and those levels of consistency.”