Portsmouth told to seal emotional Joel Ward return after social media post
Portsmouth have been told to bring Joel Ward back to Fratton Park in the summer.
The 35-year-old is set to depart the Eagles at the end of the season after a 13-year stint at Selhurst Park since joining in 2012.
This has seen the right-back feature over 360 times for the Croydon outfit, playing a key role in their promotion and subsequent stay in the Premier League.
With Ward now set to become a free agent, John Mousinho and Co. have been urged to bring Ward back to the south coast ahead of the new campaign.
Portsmouth could be set for Ward reunion
There is little doubt among Palace fans that the Englishman is a club legend and has proven to be a superb signing from Pompey.
To pay just £400,000 for a player who has gone on to achieve so much in red and blue can only be seen as an absolute success.
His stature at the London club has only been further cemented by Palace winning their first ever major trophy on Saturday (17 May) as Ward lifted the FA Cup at Wembley.
This ensured that the defender went out with a bang with the Eagles after winning 1-0 against Manchester City.
It is fair to say that this moment was well appreciated by fans all over the country, with Portsmouth taking to X to express their congratulations to the right-back.
This prompted a reaction from a large number of supporters who have urged the Fratton Park club to bring Ward back on a free transfer.
Reactions ranged from “Bring him home” to “Announce his return”, as supporters on the south coast made their feelings on the matter clear.
Ward destined for Portsmouth return after Crystal Palace win
There is no doubt that John Mousinho has built up a positive culture in PO4 based around a mix of youth and experience.
This has seen the likes of Matt Ritchie return to have a positive impact on the squad as survival was easily achieved in the Championship.
Combining his vast number of appearances across many leagues alongside younger players like Freddie Potts was superb and worked a treat at times.
Adding Ward into the mix, ready for the new season, could prove to be perfect, especially after the high of an FA Cup win this campaign.