Stephen Ward on “dream” international career and UAE football role

Dubai: Few footballers get the chance to play in the Premier League and represent their country on the international stage, but Stephen Ward achieved both during an accomplished career.

Ward appeared as a guest on the third episode of ‘The Gulf News World Cup Podcast’.

As the Republic of Ireland prepare to watch this summer's FIFA World Cup from home after narrowly missing out on qualification, Ward can empathise with the players' heartbreak.

The nation fell short in the UEFA qualification play-offs, it was a bitter disappointment for Ireland, who have not appeared at a World Cup since 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Despite showing signs of progress during the campaign, their hopes of ending a 24-year absence from football's biggest stage ultimately came up short in the play-off final against Czech Republic.

“It’s a massive thing to get to a World Cup,” explained Ward.

“International football is so difficult everyone is fighting for qualification to these major tournaments, they did so well to beat Hungary in the semi-finals of the play-offs and had momentum going into that game against Czech Republic.

“Sometimes it’s just not meant to be, I thought we were better then them but it just didn’t quite happen for us.”

Ward enjoyed an excellent playing career that saw him spend six seasons in the Premier League across spells with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and Stoke City, competing against some of the best players and teams in world football.

Yet despite reaching the pinnacle of the club game and recognising the achievement of playing in England's top-flight, the former defender insists nothing compares to representing the Republic of Ireland.

“It was the biggest achievement of my life,” said Ward, when asked about playing for his country.

“Club football is brilliant and I had a great career but playing for your country, there is just no other feeling.

“To go to two European Championships was the absolute pinnacle of my career.”

Ward was also part of the Republic of Ireland squads that competed at both UEFA Euro 2012 and UEFA Euro 2016, with the latter tournament producing one of the most memorable chapters in recent Irish football history as the country reached the Round of 16.

Having experienced major international tournaments firsthand, Ward spoke passionately about what it means to represent your country on such a stage.

“It’s intense but it’s amazing as well, in terms of both tournaments just being away with a group for five or six weeks and representing your country is incredible.

“You hear the fans and the find out about the journey’s they have been on to support you and of course you feel pressure to perform but it’s just an unbelievable experience.”

As his playing career drew to a close, Ward and his family decided to pursue a long-held ambition of living abroad and chose Dubai as the ideal destination for the next chapter of their lives.

The move not only provided a new lifestyle opportunity but also opened the door to a fresh challenge in football.

Ward has since taken up the role as Director of Football at Dubai Irish, allowing him to remain involved in the game while helping to develop young talent in the UAE.

“We always spoke as a family about having a different experience and living abroad,” said the former footballer.

“We spent a lot of time in Dubai, so it felt right, I then saw the role at Dubai Irish and had some great conversations and decided to go for it.

“I love the project at Dubai Irish, they had a clear vision of pushing the club forward and wanted to hire people who could make the environment a more professional one.”

Positioning itself as one of the UAE's most established community football clubs, Dubai Irish provide opportunities for players of all ages and abilities.

Founded by members of Dubai's Irish community, the club has built a strong reputation for developing young talent and fostering a family-oriented environment.

Ward went on to talk about how the club aim to make football available for everyone.

He said: “The costing for young kids is really important to us and we really work on keeping that at a minimal.

“At Dubai Irish we want our price point to be affordable for as many people as possible, we’re not a profit organisation, we just want as many kids playing football as possible and that includes both boys and girls.”