In the blue and white quarters of Bristol Rovers, a demoralising year-long stint on the sidelines is becoming a distant memory for Grant Ward as the midfielder popped up with the winner in the Easter Monday win at Fleetwood Town.
The 28-year-old has proven to be a shrewd addition as a free agent by Joey Barton in January, with the former Blackpool and Ipswich Town man making 12 appearances for the Gas and nailing down a role as a regular starter.
Prior to his move to the Mem, Ward had played just seven times in an 18-month spell at Blackpool marred by a ruptured Achilles tendon. Before that, he was a pivotal player in the Tangerines' promotion to the Championship in 2021, and he has shown his ability and fitness on a short-term contract with the Gas until the end of the campaign when Barton surely will be eager to sign the Tottenham Hotspur academy product to a new contract.
