Bolton v Huddersfield Town: Michael Duff challenges former Wanderer Danny Ward to rewind the clock

He is hardly the fresh-faced teenager who made his Bolton Wanderers debut as an 18-year-old in the Premier League – against Sunderland in August 2009 - any more, it’s fair to say.

Ward actually turned 34 on Monday, but there is still a bit of the element of ‘starting over’ this evening. Certainly in terms of 2024-25.

The Huddersfield Town striker’s season has shown few signs of getting going. Until now, that is.

There are signs of life with Michael Duff having detected something he views as pretty significant. Fire.

The Bradfordian has started Town’s last two league games against Mansfield Town and Wigan Athletic - and is making up for lost time after a stop-start campaign.

At his best, the experienced forward still has a fair bit to offer. The real trick is keeping him out there.

Duff said: "Wardy’s availability has been a problem, a little niggle or an illness. He’s not been able to get a run.

"The Tamworth (cup) game is a perfect example. You put him in and say ‘go on then’ and he’s ill.

"He came off at half-time and felt ill 20 minutes before kick-off. It’s that sort of bad luck and bad timing because everyone knows what he can do.

"He’s a very, very good footballer and is a talented boy.

"He’s one of those, a ‘Sport Billy’ by all accounts. He’s good at everything he touches when it comes to sport, whether it’s darts, golf, snooker or whatever.

"He has natural ability and he’s still got a bit of fire, which is the thing I saw on Saturday.

"He knows he’s not been available as often as he wants and he probably feels undercooked a little bit or not been used enough. That’s availability, that’s all it is - nothing else."

A good performance at a place he knows well would further aid in Ward’s upward trajectory - having been given the chance to claim the centre forward’s spot as his own.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that a fresh striking option is Town’s priority in the January transfer window, but if Ward makes the most of his opportunity, then that will also hold significance this winter.

On taking possession of a starting shirt up top and what Duff has said, Ward commented: "Exactly that. There's competition for strikers, but if you are playing well and doing your job, you will keep your place in the team.

"The lads are really enjoying working with the manager and everything is black and white with him and it's been really good."

And on heading back to Bolton, he added: "I loved it and spent a lot of time over there in digs and eventually got my chance to make my debut and I had really good times there.

"When I was at Bolton, there was Kevin Davies, Johan Elmander and Nicolas Anelka who were really good strikers, it was great for me as a young lad to pick their brains."

Town return to the venue where they recorded their biggest victory of the season to date, a 4-0 league success back on September 14.

That result proved the outlier in a wretched run of form which saw them lose seven times in eight matches as their campaign reached an early nadir.

The response since has been reassuringly strong and reflects well on Duff, his staff and players. Town have lost just once in 12 matches, winning nine. Their reaction to adversity has been pretty exemplary.

Duff said: "That bad run exposed a few things we thought and a few things we didn’t know. It’s finding out about the group early. Did we want to go through that run? Absolutely not, but it showed things we needed to work on.

"I’ve not become a better manager in the last six weeks and they haven’t become better players in that time.

"But there’s been a shift in their mentality and behaviours during the (working) week and when you start winning games and going on the right side of a victory, that’s hopefully when you get a bit more buy-in from the players, which has been great.

"In that bad run, they did not turn on each other and we haven’t got anyone who I’d question in terms of personality and people looking after themselves and not each other.

"That’s a subconscious thing, you can go into survival mode and protect yourself after change, change, change and it’s a different bloke with the manager’s top on.

"They have realised they have got to help each other.

"Whether it’s ‘come on, let’s go to the gym and do some extras’ or 'that’s not good enough or unacceptable. That’s the standards and togetherness you need on the pitch."

Wing-back Lasse Sorensen, out since October 19 with a hamstring issue, is likely to make his return at some point tonight.

Defender Radinio Balker - yet to feature this term after fracturing his ankle in pre-season - is due to play for the B team today.