Profile
Season stats
Full career & schedule →Domestic-league season · Derby.
Performance data · by competition
| Competition | Apps | G | A | Min | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Championship | 38 | 1 | 8 | 2937 | 7.02 |
 League Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 161 | 6.9 |
 FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 6.5 |
Scout report
J. Ward is a 30-year-old full-back at Derby, rated 42.5 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 368th of 493 on scout potential in the Championship. An experienced operator, he has been a regular starter this season (72.5% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 2.76 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Ward.
Judged on this season alone, Ward graded 30 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 31st of 77 of the 77 full-backs in the Championship, on 9 clean sheets and 2.758 defensive actions per 90.
Year-on-year, that's a clear step up on last season (Season 1 → 30). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2020/21.
On long-term talent our Rating reads 43, 55th of 77 of the 77 full-backs in the Championship. At 30 Ward is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 11.6 reflects that trajectory.
Below his 2020/21 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.
Output in context · Derby finished 8th of 24 · an upper-table side
2.76 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 9 clean sheets across 38 appearances. Behind an upper-table side (8th of 24) the side controls more games, so the defensive load is lighter — the value sits as much in composure and ball progression as in raw volume. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 8 assists — a useful bonus from the back.
Strengths
- Availability. On the pitch for 72.5% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
- Attacking threat. Chips in from deep: 0.28 goal involvements per 90, useful for a full-back.
Watch points
- Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.
Outlook
With a Rating of 42.5, Ward carries the 55th-highest potential of the full-backs in the Championship of 77. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (2.76 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90), with a bit more on the ball than most in the role. Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1× now → 0.7× projected in three years).
Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.
Transfer news
No transfer news found for this player.
