Brendan Rodgers admits to Danny Ward ‘challenge’ and addresses goalkeeper switch

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has said Danny Ward will be taken out of the starting XI if he feels a change is needed.

Ward has had a difficult season after stepping up to become the club’s number one following the surprise departure of Kasper Schmeichel to Nice last summer.

Schmeichel left City in a £1million deal and the club was not in a position to replace him in the summer transfer window, meaning Ward took on the duty of being Rodgers’ first-choice stopper.

Many supporters have been calling for Ward’s deputy Daniel Iversen to start for Leicester, and that would not be a change Rodgers would shy away from.

Asked for an assessment of Ward’s season to date, Rodgers admitted the Welshman has had a “challenging season” and, while showing support for his number one, also said he would take responsibility to make a change between the sticks if needed.

“To be fair to Danny, he’s very, very honest in his appraisal when I sit and speak to him about where we’re at,” Rodgers said in his pre-match press conference this week.

“He’s been a long-time number two here, and a very loyal number two. With our situation in the summer, even if we wanted to, there was no one we could bring in. But I still felt Danny was deserving of the opportunity because of what we’d seen in training.

“I think it’s been a challenging season for him. In fairness to him, he’s always stood up to that and been very honest. I think it was a difficult start for him, with how the summer was for us and the beginning of the season. Tough games. That was a challenge.

“As the season wore on, and the team found stability, he did (too). Then probably from the World Cup – where it was tough for him, maybe from a confidence perspective, where he didn’t play and then coming back – it’s been a little bit up and down for him.

“I felt (being number one) was the opportunity he deserved, because of the situation we were in at the club. The club paid a lot of money for Danny.

“He’s had 26 games with the team. It’s something we look at and Danny will be no different to the outfield players; if we feel we need to make a change then that’s something I will take responsibility for and do.”