Nottingham Forest could be on the hunt for a left-back this summer, as Martin O’Neill has preferred Jack Robinson in a centre-back role and may not trust Ben Osborn as a makeshift left-back next season.
Stephen Ward could be available for Forest, with Burnley confirming in May that his contract at Turf Moor wouldn’t be renewed. The 33-year-old struggled for playing time in 2018/19 and may have to drop down a division for regular playing time.
Ward joined Burnley from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2014 and made 113 appearances in all competitions, scoring and creating 10 goals. The Republic of Ireland international has spent the majority of the campaign as an unused substitute, however.
The £28k-per-week defender made only 10 appearances for Burnley last season, racking up 835 minutes of football. Ward’s last outing was in January’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
Given his last Premier League appearance was all the way back in August, there may not be another top-flight club willing to start him on a regular basis. Forest may be able to capitalise on the situation, but whether O’Neill has his eyes on the left-back this summer remains to be seen.