Palace beat off competition for Ward

The early bird catches the worm as they say in the old cliche, and Crystal Palace have shown a following of such advice by landing a deal for Portsmouth defender Joel Ward before the calendars have been flicked from May to June.

The Evening Standard have this morning announced that Palace have indeed concluded a £400,000 deal for the 22 year old after assistant manager Lennie Lawrence had been reported on Sky Sports as saying the London club had pulled off the deal in a "real coup".

The London club's official site announced the deal as a four year one for the defender who is mainly a right back, but has experienced playing defensive and attacking midfield, for Portsmouth, who will be glad to get some money into the coffers as they fight financial trouble on the south coast.

Ward had been at Fratton Park for four years where he notched up just under 100 appearances and after being a long term target for Palace according to Lawrence, the Eagles have swooped down from the sky to seize their prey in a move that was rubber stamped on Monday night according to the official site.

Swooning over the new signing, Lawrence also said that Ward was a man very much in demand as he apparently spoke to other Championship clubs, believed to be Burnley, Ipswich and Leeds according to Sky Sports, but Palace's lovely setting of a palace furnished with crystal seemed to have convinced Ward they are the best place for him. That is correct right?

Of course it isn't, but Lawrence was rightfully pleased the player had chosen them for his air-lift back into the Championship from League One. The assistant said that Palace will be the next stage of Ward's development and that they see him as a potential Premier League player down at Selhurst Park.

@AdamGray1250

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