Ward, who has scored eight goals already this season, could be a bargain signing for Leeds United.
In a wretched season for Rotherham United, one player has stood taller than the rest.
The Millers, however, would be wise not to shout about Danny Ward’s eight league goals – which make up half of their overall tally and are one more than their number of points – considering his contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.
When asked about his future by BBC Radio Sheffield on Thursday, the striker was unsurprisingly non-committal. “Just taking it game by game,” his response – which, in this day and age, tends to translate as “already scoping out my next club”.
But could Ward’s next club also be his first? Leeds United, it seems, will be seeking a new striker in January, with Chris Wood shouldering most of the goalscoring burden so far. And Ward, who left Elland Road for Premier League Bolton Wanderers a decade ago next summer, could be the ideal Whites recruit.
Not only is Ward likely to come cheaper than he would do under normal circumstances, owing to his current contract situation, he is the ideal age (26 next month) and is equally comfortable leading the line as he is coming in off the left flank – where it could be argued Leeds are also a little light.
On current form, the Bradford boy would certainly improve Leeds’ attacking options, having doubled the combined tallies of Marcus Antonsson, Souleymane Doukara and Kemar Roofe so far, but at the same time, he is not an immediate threat to Wood’s position in the team, and unlikely therefore to upset the rhythm at Elland Road.
According to a 2015 report in the Huddersfield Examiner, Leeds have courted Ward before, but after he struggled in the Championship initially, concerns about him then were perhaps understandable.
This time around, though, there shouldn’t be a problem.
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