In short, no. It really is the form of Danny Ward’s career. He’s two goals away from matching his best ever season where he notched 10 goals for Huddersfield Town and we aren’t even at the half-way point. In this sense, he owes it to the club to stay another season (even if we are in League One) and score some goals to send us bouncing right back to the second tier (hopefully). Although he always maintained that he was more of a striker than a left winger, Rotherham United gave him a platform to be the main man and score goals, rather than bag assists.
However, if he really isn’t going to put pen to paper on a new deal, then are Tony Stewart and co. better off cashing in whilst he’s hot property? Ward has made it clear that he’s not rushing into anything contract-wise. You can’t blame him for wanting out, I suppose, but say he was a one-season wonder, would we ever be able to command such a fee for him again? All the signs point otherwise. His form in a side that appear to be allergic to points is mind-blowing. He sits just inside the top five in the Championship top scorers charts everyone else above him belong to a side pushing for promotion.
At 25-years-of-age, the versatile man has plenty more to give and it is nice, for once, to have a striker in his prime, as opposed to catching him at the end of his career. Like Dexter Blackstock, for instance. The ex-Terrier doesn’t just bring goals to the side, either. He brings a large set of lungs that set him up for 90 minutes; a work-rate that the rest Rotherham United’s players could learn a thing or two from. He brings assists (one to-date this season) and two legs for springs. I’m still astonished that someone so small and stocky can get up so high! Then again, a lot of the clubs’ most memorable strikers have been of a diminutive build, like Adam le Fondre (why, oh why didn’t we re-sign him?).
Personally, I don’t think there’ll be as much interest in him as you might think. I also don’t think we are in any desperate need to sell. The money being thrown around on the likes of Lee Gregory in the summer suggest that the kitty is keeping nicely (even if it isn’t being thrown around on the right players). There might be the odd bit from a Reading or an Ipswich but no disrespect to Ward, nobody will be willing to take too much of a chance on him. As mentioned, it’s been a bit of an anomaly in his career (not that we mind) and perhaps if he chalks up 15 or 20 by the end of the season, the interest will intensify but at present, he’s not being constantly linked with a move away from the club. In fact, I haven’t really seen his name pop up amongst rival fans on social media at all, which works in our favour, if he remains under the radar a little longer.
Not to mention Ward’s budding romance with the physio room. He’s been injury-free so far this campaign (*touch wood*) but when he’s down, Danny Ward can be down for months.
The fact that everyone is unsure as to when the striker’s contract is up pretty much epitomises the state of the Millers at the minute. Contrasting reports say that it’s due to expire at the end of this term but that a clause can be activated to extent it. Others state that a year remains on the paperwork. Either way, an extension would buy Rotherham more time as to what to do with him.