Alan Shearer says what everyone is thinking about Danny Ward after Marcus Rashford goal

© Hannah McKay – Pool/Getty Images England’s Marcus Rashford scores their first goal from a free kick past Wales’ Danny Ward during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between Wales and England.

Former Premier League striker Alan Shearer has said that Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward was at fault for England’s opening goal in the World Cup clash.

Ward was named in the starting line-up for the group stage clash in which Wales needed a win in order to have any hopes of qualifying for the last 16 of the tournament. He was given his chance following a red card for Wayne Hennessey in the loss against Iran.

The Leicester City man has been in brilliant form in the lead up to the tournament after a difficult start to life as the club’s number one. He had conceded just one goal in his last six Premier League games.

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Ward helped keep the scores level going into the half-time break, saving from Marcus Rashford in the first half, but in the 50th minute Rashford did find a way past the Wales goalkeeper as he rifled in a free-kick. Things would get better for England when Phil Foden doubled the score just one minute later.

Rashford went on to score a second by squeezing the ball under Ward to put the result beyond doubt and put England into the knockout stages. Analysing the goals after the game, Shearer said that Ward should have done better with the opening goal.

“It was a wonderful strike, I was sitting here saying hit it goalkeeper’s side,” he said on BBC’s coverage of the game.

“The keeper is at fault here. It’s a wonderful strike, but the ‘keeper’s side, there’s no point having a wall there if you’re not going to trust it.

“He’s bouncing, jumping, looking over the wall. It’s very good from Marcus no doubt about that but the ‘keeper should do better there.”

The result means that Wales go out of the tournament at the group stage, meaning that Ward will return to City earlier than he would have hoped. With Daniel Iversen likely to play in the Carabao Cup vs MK Dons, Ward is expected to return to action against Newcastle United on Boxing Day.

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