Helen Ward is excited about the prospect of her 100th international appearance
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Helen Ward is honored to become the newest member of Wales’ 100 caps club, but the country’s record goalscorer is happy to admit she never expected to reach the milestone.
Indeed, in recent years, Ward has worried about whether she’d even be able to end her career on her own terms.
Ward was unable to play or train during efforts to fight the coronavirus and feared her career was all but over.
Now she’s on the verge of a fairytale finish as Wales chase their first appearance in a major women’s tournament.
“Qualifying for a World Cup would mean everything,” Ward told ` Sport Wales. “What could top that? It has to be the pinnacle.”
Watch some of the best action scenes from Helen Ward’s career in Wales
The honor of reaching 100 caps
After making her Wales debut in 2008 – when she scored in a win against Luxembourg – Ward’s career, like that of teammates Jess Fishlock, Sophie Ingle and Natasha Harding, has spanned the era of amateur and professional football.
However, Ward was not playing in English football’s top flight when the Covid-19 restrictions came into effect, meaning she was unable to play or train for much of the lockdown period, a period she was in publicly admitted that she is considering retirement.
Now she’s just a cap away from hitting 100, but Ward admits she’s surprised she’s still playing.
“I had 100% doubts. Ask Razza [Rhiannon Roberts, Liverpool and Wales defender] How many times have I sat in our room and “retired” – it would add up to a lot of times.
“Covid has been tough. The second major lockdown was a time when I considered retiring but I’m so glad I didn’t as I know I would have regretted ending my career.
“I’m happy to still be here.”
Ward says the current professional environment with the national team is very different from her earlier days representing Wales.
“It’s incomparable,” she said. “When I made my debut, Tucks [Adrian Tucker] was a manager and he was part-time and juggling club commitments,” Ward said.
“Since then we have always asked for more. Every coach that has come has built on the work of the previous one and many of us have been playing all along.
“I would attribute a lot of our success to that. We had some setbacks and bad moments, but Welsh women’s football has been on an upward trend throughout my career.”
Helen Ward, who represented England at Under-23 level and played for women’s Super League giants Arsenal and Chelsea, has scored 44 goals for Wales
Playing soccer after starting a family
To be Wales’ top scorer and one of the most voted players in the history of Welsh football is a huge achievement, but all the more remarkable given that Ward had two children throughout her career.
“I never thought I would continue playing after starting a family, but I’m so glad I did,” she said.
“It’s tricky because you always have to take care of the kids first.
“But the older they get, the more I appreciate having them around.
“There was video of a goal I scored over the weekend and I could see my little boy jumping up in the picture.
“I watched it over and over again to see his reaction more than the goal itself. Those moments are amazing and something I never thought I would do.”
Ward had her children at a time when there was no maternity support for players written into contracts, something that only came into play in England in January 2022.
“It’s great that professional clubs have to offer that now, it’s great… I haven’t had any of those advantages.
“But maybe I and other mums are still playing now, we were the ones driving that and making changes – it’s great.
“My team-mates can now have a family and not worry about their professional future. They can have a family when it’s right for them and not when it’s right for their football club.”
“I’ve been really lucky with the way my career has gone and I’m grateful for every step [in the game] I was able to see.”
Welsh defender Hayley Ladd described Helen Ward as “the mother of the group” as she paid tribute to her Welsh team-mate in her ` column
The ultimate goal
Ward will play her 100th international at this camp, either at home against leaders France on Friday or in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
Personal accolades, however, are a far cry from Ward’s ultimate goal, which is to represent Wales at a major tournament. The 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand may be the last realistic chance for a player who turns 36 this month.
“We want to get there and compete, that’s the goal,” Ward added.
“We built and learned a lot. We have a lot more in us than we thought before – our performances against top teams have been very encouraging.
“The squad is in a really good position now.”
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