Crystal Palace have won the race to sign Joel Ward from Portsmouth, sealing a £400,000 move for the defender today.
Ward, 22, attracted interest from a number of Championship clubs, including Ipswich Town and Leeds United, following Pompey's relegation to League One.
He has chosen to move to Selhurst Park, penning a four-year deal with the Eagles, and said that Palace manage Dougie Freedman was one of the main reasons for moving to London.
"I was blessed and lucky to have a number of clubs interested but I met Dougie Freedman and he's a very infectious person who knows what he wants," Ward told the club's official website.
"He knows the vision that he's trying to instil into the players and into the club and that's what I want to see in a manager."
Ward featured in 96 games for Pompey during his four-year spell at Fratton Park.
Written by
Pascal Lemesre
Pascal Lemesre
