‘I love the club. I will forever love the club.’

Carla Ward addressed the press on Thursday morning ahead of the final day of the 2023/24 Barclays Women’s Super League season, in what will be Ward’s final dance with the Villans after she announced her departure from the club at season’s close.

Aston Villa will face Manchester City at Villa Park in what will be a final day showdown as the Cityzens chase Chelsea down to the wire for the title. Speculation has followed the distint narrative of ‘goal difference’- as many assume both Aston Villa and Manchester United will be a pushover for the partnership at the table’s summit. Ward assured that will not be the case, as Aston Villa continue to cause headaches for Manchester City over recent seasons.

“We like playing against Manchester City, I’ve made that clear over the last few years. We’ve had good games against them- they are a team that play in a way that I love. We want to go there and we want to win the game, it’s as simple as that. I couldn’t care less what goes on elsewhere, all I care about is trying to get maximum points.”

Carla Ward says goodbye to the club after an impressive tenure with the Villans- leading the club to their highest ever finish in the top flight throughout the 2022/23 season. Ward reflected on her time with Aston Villa with ‘immense pride’.

“I came into this football club and there was one cabin outside, and in that cabin was a changing room, gym, staff office. Now we’ve got a big building here, we’ve got a couple of buildings outside, we’ve got our own gym, we’ve got a player area. We’ve maximised on and off the pitch massively. We’ve put Aston Villa on the map, and listen, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved here for sure.”

Ward has been in the thick of it for eight consecutive years now, as the Villans boss confirms she needs ‘a bit of a recharge’ and then ‘I have no doubt then I’ll come back stronger’.

“There has been a number of contributing factors, and it takes a lot for me to take a moment and say ‘I do need a breather’. Resilience is probably my biggest strength but you have to sit back sometimes and realise when a break is needed mentally and physically. You have to sometimes be brave enough to say, no, I need a break, I need to breathe. That’s what I’ve done.“

The Barclays Women’s Super League will lose three female managers at season’s end, as Emma Hayes, Lauren Smith, and Carla Ward all depart the league. Ward herself has been a pioneer for the growth of the women’s game during her managerial career- never afraid to make her presence known when speaking on what she believes.

Speaking on the loss of female ‘characters’ in the league, Ward expressed that “We have a voice. We have a collective voice. If you take the character side away, and the personality side away- I think you lose something.“

Continuing, “There isn’t enough that are willing to speak up, there isn’t enough that are willing to be honest and say what they really should say, because they are worried about what a reaction will be in social media. People need to step up and maybe take the lead and speak and share exactly what they feel- not enough do.”

Aston Villa will face Manchester City on the final day of the Barclays Women’s Super League season this Saturday as Villa Park prepares to bid farewell to Carla Ward.