Bristol Rovers midfielder Grant Ward says his future with the club is unclear, but he is enjoying his time at the Mem and he has impressed manager Joey Barton.
The former Blackpool and Ipswich Town midfielder joined the Gas in January with the length of his contract undisclosed, but he admitted after Saturday's 0-0 with promotion-chasing Barnsley in BS7 that he is not sure where his future lies beyond the end of this campaign.
Arriving in a difficult period for Barton's Gas, Ward's performances in midfield have been more than respectable, and he was praised by his manager for his role in the stalemate with the Tykes.
After a horrible period with a ruptured Achilles tendon at Bloomfield Road, Ward was limited to six appearances for the Tangerines in the 2021/22 season and he was released before returning on a short-term deal after the start of this season. He was again released by Blackpool after two further appearances, and Ward believes the lack of regular football put teams off until the Gas took a chance on him as a free agent.
The Tottenham Hotspur academy product, aged 28, has made seven appearances for Rovers in midfield and he insists he is happy at the club, albeit his future after the season ends is uncertain.
"It’s something I haven’t really talked about, to be honest," Ward said. "When I first came, because I had only played two games people didn’t know what to think. They would ask ‘Is he fit, is he injured, is he still mobile?’ because I’ve always been one that could run around all day.
"It was a case of looking at my fitness and going from there. We’ll see what happens, I’m enjoying my time here at the minute 100 per cent. Everyone at the club has been brilliant with me; the coaches, the players and even the CEO have made me feel comfortable, so we’ll see what happens."
After ending a seven-game winless run with a 3-0 victory at Oxford United on February 25, Rovers appear to have steadied the ship, with new signings bedding in and established players starting to return to form. As a result, they have moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone to ease fears of a grim, nerve-shredding end to the campaign.
Ward says the mood at The Quarters remained positive throughout the difficult moments, but insists the Gas have a ways to go and they cannot allow any complacency to slip into their game.
"It was something we talked about and we were positive," Ward added. "With a new group of players coming in, it does take time to gel. It can’t happen straight away so we are so we’ve been working on it and we’re starting to see the benefits.
"We’re on track now, but we can’t get complacent and we’ve got to keep working on it or you never know, with a couple of losses, you’re back there, but as a team and a collective unit, we have definitely improved and we’re going the right way."
Rovers' ability to string together back-to-back results has been underpinned by a solidifying defence, keeping three clean sheets in the past four games – including against promotion-hunting Ipswich Town and Barnsley.
Obviously, after being held back by a poor defensive record for much of the season, it has been an increased area of focus on the training pitch and Ward is pleased to see rewards for his and his teammates' hard work.
"We’ve been working on it throughout the week and we look very solid," he said. "We’re not conceding that many chances and if you do that, you’ve always got a chance, you’ve always got a base. Hopefully, we can progress from that and get some goals as well
"All over the park, the back four, the midfield and the forwards defended brilliantly. Everyone put their bodies on the line and it was a much-deserved point.
"We’ve more than matched the so-called top teams that have come here and we relish the challenge. We’ve got no fear when they come here and we’re out here to match them up and hopefully next time we can get a win."
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