Jamie Ward

In the 61st minute, he conceded a penalty and was shown a straight red card for fouling former Derby defender Tyrone Mears in the 18-yard box.

Burnley went on to win the match 4–2.

Jamie John Ward (born 12 May 1986) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Nuneaton Borough.

He has represented the Northern Ireland national team.

Born in Birmingham he began his career with his home-town club Aston Villa but failed to break into the first team and following a spell on loan at Stockport County he joined Torquay United.

The Blades had conceded an injury time equaliser before Ward regained the lead in the 93rd minute.

He then played regularly for the remainder of the season, scoring a further goal in the process.

Ward began his career as a trainee with Aston Villa and played in their 2004 FA Youth Cup Final defeat against Middlesbrough.

He turned professional in July 2005 after recovering from injuries received in a car crash in 2004.

Although Ward captained Aston Villa's reserve team, he did not make a first-team appearance and in March 2006 he joined Stockport County on loan until the end of the season, making his league debut in a 1–0 victory away to Bury on 7 March.

He made nine appearances, scoring once in a 3–1 home victory against Shrewsbury Town.

At the end of the 2005–06 season, Ward was released by Aston Villa and on 6 July 2006 he signed a three-year contract with Ian Atkins' Torquay United, despite interest from Stockport County and Wrexham.

However, with a change of ownership and manager at Torquay, Ward asked for a transfer in December 2006.

Ward joined Chesterfield, managed by former Torquay manager Roy McFarland, on 31 January 2007 on a two-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

He started the 2007–08 season brightly, but in only his second game, against Sheffield United, he again pulled his hamstring.

He fought back to match fitness and scored twelve goals for the Spireites that season.

He began the 2008–09 season as a first choice, with his form attracting attention from higher-level clubs such as Derby County and Sheffield United.

He rejected the offer of a new contract with Chesterfield in December 2008, with his existing contract set to expire at the end of the season.

In January 2009, Championship side Barnsley made a bid for Ward for £400,000 which had been accepted.

However, the move was called off after he failed to agree personal terms with the club.

Having rejected Barnsley, Ward finally agreed a three and a half-year deal with Sheffield United in January 2009 with the clubs agreeing a fee of around £330,000.

Ward scored his first goal for the Blades in only his second appearance, a 2–1 win at Southampton in February of the same year.

His season finished on a low note however as he was sent off for two handballs in the 2009 play-off final against Burnley at Wembley.

Having been suspended for the first two games of the following season Ward returned in fine form, scoring four goals in seven games, including the opener in the Bramall Lane leg of that season's Steel City derby against the Owls.

Unfortunately he was stretchered off the field later in that game following a suspected hamstring tear.

On returning to the team in November Ward played regularly without ever really regaining his early form before again succumbing to an injury in April which sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Returning to fitness Ward started the 2010–2011 campaign as a regular first team player once more but an early suspension following a red card in the local derby against Leeds United coupled with further injury problems and a loss of form meant that he could not hold down a regular spot in the first team.

As the Blades struggled, and with new manager Micky Adams seeking to re-build the team, Ward was loaned to fellow relegation-threatened Championship team Derby County in mid-February for three months, with a view to a permanent deal.

Ward made his debut on 19 February, starting in a 0–0 draw with Scunthorpe United.

He also started the next game, a 1–0 defeat to Hull City, but missed the third, a 1–0 win at his parent club Sheffield United, as he was ineligible under the terms of his loan.

He started all of the next 10 games, helping the relegation-threatened side to two wins and four draws.

His first goal for the club was a penalty in a 2–1 defeat against Middlesbrough on 8 March.

He scored again on 19 March, a stunning 35-yard strike in a 2–2 draw against Crystal Palace.

For his efforts, he was named in the Championship's "Team of the Week".

He then won 2 penalties in 2 games, the first for a late consolation in a 4–1 defeat to Cardiff City on 2 April, and the second for Derby's equaliser in a 2–2 draw with Coventry City on 9 April.

He scored again in the following game, a 2–1 win against fierce rivals Leeds United on 12 April.

His fourth goal for the club was a 20-yard strike in the 30th minute against Burnley on 23 April to put The Rams 2–1 up.

From there Ward had signed first for Chesterfield and then Sheffield United before joining Derby County in 2011 and later Nottingham Forest in 2015.

Ward qualifies for Northern Ireland through his grandfather.

He was included in the Northern Ireland national team for the UEFA Euro 2016, where they reached the round of 16.