Ward talks Crystal Palace culture and his Christian faith: Church has given me an anchor | OneFootball

Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward says the club is currently undergoing an exciting transition.

Yet Ward says, while much has changed, what matters is what has remained.

"One thing I love about this place is the culture," Ward told the Daily Mail. "The surroundings have remained and that has given the club the foundation to push, the influx of the academy, the players we are attracting, we've gone on a journey.

"It's not a journey where you come up and splash cash and that's it and drop back down, it's been a real gradual building process and I think it's been exciting to go on that journey, to see so many different faces come through the building and so many big characters.

"Now we are in a position where it's been a big transition period. We've changed the style, the philosophy, we've changed a lot, but the culture has remained in many ways: the way we go about things, how we do things, the standards, the drive from the chairman right down to the players and staff and everyone that's involved at the club.

"We're all on the same page, we all know what we want, and that's to improve, set standards and continue to raise the bar."

Faith binds everything Ward does. A devout Christian, who grew up in the New Life Christian Church, an evangelical group, in Emsworth.

His parents, Phil and Kim, formed part of the church leadership team and helped look after the grounds. Ward and his brother Alex lived with them on the estate while as many as 40 students from all over the world travelled there to study the Christian faith.

Ward kneels on the pitch to pray before every game. He has a verse from Corinthians tattooed on his arm. It shapes his life and his football.

"It's given me a moral compass, it's given me an anchor besides my family and my circle, my wife and kids," says Ward.

"The church has given me an anchor to hold on to, somewhere where I can get away from things, I can cast my burden so to speak, and just talk and have support which has been the biggest thing, just having that community. It's been a constant throughout my life and kept me steady and consistent."