Lord of the Dance
Ward becomes Director of Football at Solihull Moors
Sport

Ward becomes Director of Football at Solihull Moors

Former Republic of Ireland defender Stephen Ward has been appointed as the Director of Football at National League side Solihull Moors.Ward, a 50-time capped former Ireland international, had his appointment confirmed by the midlands outfit confirmed on Monday.

This will be Ward's second job in football, following his recent stint as assistant manager at Brackley Town.

During his career, Ward (37) made almost 600 senior appearances for clubs including Bohemians, Wolves, Brighton, Burnley, Stoke, Ipswich, and Walsall.

"First of all, I am delighted to be here and get started in the role at Moors," said Ward on the club's website. "After meeting the chairman, I was firstly very impressed by him and his vision for the club, along with the clear ambition to progress and achieve Football League status.

"I was impressed by the set-up both at the stadium and the training ground in Studley, as well as the club's ambition to be the best both on and off the pitch. I will use the knowledge that I have gained through my 20-year career, playing at the top level, to help the Club move forward in its aspirations both on and off the pitch."

Since winning the National League North in 2015/16, the club has become a competitive force in the fifth tier. They finished second in 2018-19, just three points off champions Leyton Orient, but failed to secure promotion through the playoffs.

Moors Chairman Darryl Eales added, "I'm delighted to welcome Stephen to Moors and believe we are fortunate to have an individual of his calibre in the newly created role of Director of Football. Alongside Stephen, we will appoint a Head Coach in the near future, and in the interim, James Quinn will welcome the players back to pre-season training.

Stephen's appointment is part of our program of continuous improvement, and he will oversee all our football activities," added Eales. "He buys into Moors' community club mentality and our ambition to try and achieve Football League status."

The fixtures for the upcoming season will be announced on July 5. The opening day fixtures will take place on Saturday, August 5, with the regular season ending on Saturday, April 20.