Ward proud to be part of Motherwell mean machine

Motherwell goalkeeper Calum Ward says he and defensive partner Matty Connelly take “a lot of pride” in steering the Steelmen to one of the stingiest back lines in Europe this season.

The 25-year-old has kept more shutouts than any other Premiership keeper, helping the club equal a record 20 clean sheets already. Over his last 15 appearances Ward has been beaten only three times, and Motherwell have conceded 18 goals in 27 league fixtures – a figure bettered by few heavyweights across the continent, including Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

“It’s really good for myself and for Matty,” Ward said. “We take a lot of pride in it. It’s a whole-team effort to be fair and it’s a really big positive for the season.”

The keeper, who endured a “shaky start” that prompted calls for his replacement, credits the defenders in front of him for easing his workload. “A lot of games this season in the league, I’ve not had a lot of saves to make and that’s down to the defence. Some of the clean sheets have come without me doing anything and I’ll take that all day long.”

Ward stressed the need to stay present, citing the recent home meeting with Rangers where an early concession forced Motherwell to reset. “You can’t be fully focused on it,” he noted. “You’ve just got to get the clean-sheet stuff out of your head because you’ve got a whole 90 minutes again to get a result back.”

Reflecting on his early-season wobble, Ward added: “I had a shaky start at times. I played well but then just moments in games that kind of ruined results for us. It wasn’t something I focused on. The manager had full faith and pushed on from there and it’s been going well so far. Confidence is massive.”

With the league run-in approaching, the Fir Park outfit’s miserly rearguard offers a platform to chase further points, and Ward is determined to maintain the standards that have made Motherwell’s defence the envy of clubs across Europe.