Born in Stepney, London, Ward joined Arsenal as a trainee in 1952 and was quickly propelled into the first team.
He made his debut on the left wing in a home match against Huddersfield Town on 22 August 1953 at the age of 16 years and 321 days, this made him at the time Arsenal's youngest-ever player (since surpassed by Jermaine Pennant and then Cesc Fàbregas), and until 2008 he held the record for Arsenal's youngest-ever player in a league match, a record now held by Jack Wilshere.
As Wilshere's appearance was as a substitute, Ward remains the youngest Arsenal player to ever start a league match.
He had a career in non-league football after that, playing for both Cambridge City and Barnet, whom he also managed for a brief period between 1973 and 1974.
This biographical article related to association football in England, about a midfielder born in the 1930s, is a stub.