Can Returning Goalkeeper Danny Ward Claim the No. 1 Shirt at Liverpool?
Welsh goalkeeper Danny Ward is the latest in a long line of Liverpool loanees to be recalled by new manager Jurgen Klopp this winter, with the 22-year-old's season-long spell with Aberdeen in the Scottish Premier League cut short after six months, provoking speculation as to his role on Merseyside this season.
According to the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce, "Jurgen Klopp has opted to cut short [Ward's] stay at Pittodrie in order to bolster his goalkeeping options," but rumours, asserted by the Press and Journal, that Ward has been drafted in to cover for injury to Simon Mignolet have proved to be unfounded.
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Ward joins Kevin Stewart, Sheyi Ojo, Ryan Kent and Tiago Ilori in returning to Klopp's squad after a host of injuries saw the German's initial selection worryingly depleted.
But while only Ilori can harbour realistic ambitions of securing a regular first-team role from that group at this stage, Ward's return from a hugely successful six months in Aberdeen—paired with consistent problems for both Mignolet and Adam Bogdan—suggests he could well be given the chance to impress.
So could Ward claim the No. 1 shirt at Liverpool, starting with strong performances between the sticks in 2016?
Danny Ward at Aberdeen
Yet to make his senior debut for the Reds, Ward's move to Aberdeen sparked bemusement among supporters back in June, with the goalkeeper something of an unknown quantity even for regulars in the Kop.
Despite having spent a short spell in 2015 on loan with League Two side Morecambe, Ward had proved his credentials with a series of impressive performances for Liverpool's under-21s side, and he had bulked up significantly prior to his move to Pittodrie.
This gave Ward the ideal platform to prove his talents, with his intelligence, authority and strong reflexes now reinforced by a supreme physicality.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes told the club's official website of his expectations for Ward shortly after securing the deal:
"I am delighted to get Danny on board. He is a young goalkeeper we have been aware of for some time. We are thankful to Liverpool and Brendan [Rodgers] in particular for allowing this to happen.
He is someone who is highly regarded at his club and they see the importance of getting him out on loan. Danny now has the task and challenge of playing football at a good level with us.
We have real competition for places in all areas of the team, and we certainly now have that in the goalkeeping position.
"
With Aberdeen having qualified for the Europa League after a second-placed finish in the Scottish Premier League in 2014/15, and with McInnes looking to continue his side's progress as genuine challengers to Celtic's dominance, Ward was well placed to gain vital experience with the Dons.
Though McInnes revealed that he had been tracking Ward for "some time," even the former West Bromwich Albion midfielder will have been surprised at the goalkeeper's form.
In 29 games for Aberdeen in all competitions, Ward kept 12 clean sheets, conceding just 29 goals.
This has seen Aberdeen maintain the second-best defensive record in the Scottish Premier League, conceding just four more than league leaders Celtic—it was this stability at the back that propelled the Dons' title charge in the first half of 2015/16.
Ward's confident performances quickly earned the respect of his team-mates, with midfielder Willo Flood claiming that "he’s the best I've played with," per Euan McArthur of the Daily Mail.
"Wardy, for his age, his stature, everything about him. He’s up there with the best," Flood continued, "he has all the makings of a Premier League player in England."
Flood clearly believes that Ward has the ability to establish himself at Liverpool, and circumstance may give the Welshman the opportunity to do so this season.
A Busy Winter and a Beleaguered Bogdan
Having spent the entirety of his footballing career—prior to joining Liverpool—in Germany, Klopp has spent the winter bemoaning England's busy fixture schedule—something that has been magnified following 13 injuries within his first-team squad.
Competing in the Premier League, the Europa League, the FA Cup and the League Cup at this stage of the season, Klopp has seen his diminished side struggle to maintain a steady level of form.
Speaking to the club's official website, the 48-year-old highlighted this as the key difference between life at Liverpool and his seven years in charge of Borussia Dortmund:
"When I came here, I didn't know there were two rounds in the semi-final of the Capital One Cup.
I had people in Germany, saying ‘yeah, you’re in the final again!’ Idiots!
In Germany, when you tell people about the FA Cup that if you draw you play again. They say ‘what?’ Here you have penalties and extra time, but only after the second game.
That’s the thing, it’s the number of games, football, football, football. With a perfect pre-season you are prepared for a long, long journey.
We knew about it, but to feel it is different.
"
Arriving in a country so deeply entrenched in footballing culture should be a positive for Klopp, but his struggles in keeping up with a heavily congested fixture list—with England's greedy eyes and the swelling coffers of Sky and BT Sport demanding another dose of football every three days—highlight a naivety.
Without the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson and Mamadou Sakho this winter, Klopp has been forced to recall some of his promising loanees, giving him more options—particularly for cup ties.
When it comes to his goalkeeping ranks, however, Ward's recall is arguably more due to form than fitness.
Fielded in Mignolet's place for Friday night's FA Cup third-round tie at Exeter City, Bogdan was given a chance to prove himself as a capable deputy, being one of the most experienced players within a youthful Reds lineup.
Bullied on his goal line as Lee Holmes sent in a 45th-minute corner at St. James Park however, Bogdan did little to enhance his reputation, with the midfielder's well-struck set piece swerving directly into the Hungarian's goal.
This is the second glaring error that Bogdan has committed in the first three months of Klopp's tenure, having conceded a soft goal away to Watford in December, after dropping the ball in the box.
Klopp's response to this latest calamity, when speaking to reporters after the game, suggested Bogdan was now facing a questionable future. Ward's recall has compounded this, and the former Bolton Wanderers stopper could now find his position under threat in 2016.
But can an ambitious Ward set his sights even higher this season?
Ward and the No. 1 Shirt
At the end of 2015, Ward signalled his intention to challenge for the role of Klopp's first-choice goalkeeper on his return to Liverpool, encouraged by his experience north of the border, per the Mail's Joe Bernstein:
"We've been doing well this season. I might not be called on for 80 minutes and then have an important save to make. It is similar to being at a big club in England, like Liverpool. It can be only good for the future.
It is definitely an ambition of mine to be Liverpool's first-choice. I have a self-belief where I think I can play at the highest level. Ideally that's at Liverpool, that would be fantastic.
They gave me a new long-term contract before I came up. I took it to mean they think I have got a chance. Long term, I would love to be their No. 1.
For now it's about me taking the right steps and impressing for Aberdeen game by game.
"
With Ward stressing the importance of concentration as a top-level goalkeeper, the Welshman perfectly captures the faults of both Bogdan and Mignolet, with the pair both committing individual errors in goal for the Reds this season.
If Klopp is looking for a steadier pair of hands, Ward would be a solid choice.
While it would be remiss to expect Ward to step into the position as Klopp's first choice immediately, given the disparity in quality between the Scottish and English Premier Leagues and the high demands of Klopp's regime, Ward has certainly proved his ability with Aberdeen.
His time under McInnes bears striking similarities with Joe Hart's immensely successful season on loan with Birmingham City in 2009/10—a relative unknown, given the opportunity to shine, taking his chance.
Hart was also 22 years old when he kept 10 clean sheets in 36 Premier League games as Birmingham secured a ninth-placed finish.
The England international was installed as Manchester City's No. 1 goalkeeper the following season, keeping 18 clean sheets in 38 league outings, conceding 33 goals and becoming a key player within Roberto Mancini's title-challenging side.
Hart's rise allowed Mancini to phase out an ageing Shay Given, and Klopp could follow this trend and look for Ward to usurp Mignolet as his No. 1 in 2016.
He certainly has the quality and the assurance to do so—the challenge for Ward is to now prove his worth when given the opportunity, likely starting with an Anfield replay against Exeter later this month.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.
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