 Millwall would have preferred Ward not to move to Palace. |
Crystal Palace have completed the capture of Millwall's 26-year-old central defender Darren Ward. Palace will pay �1.1m, rising to �1.5m depending on appearances for Ward who has signed a three-year deal which will keep him at Selhurst Park until 2008.
Millwall chairman Jeff Burnige told Lions' website: "At least three clubs were considering bids of around �1m, one of them was a Premiership club.
"The fee agreed represents good business for our club."
Ward could face his former Millwall team-mates in the Championship next season and Burnige said: "Darren seemed determined to move.
"When Crystal Palace made their offer, it threw a spanner in the works.
"Once Darren had made his decision, the board had to accept it.
"I'm sure that our fans would have wanted him to move to the Premiership, and not to one of our fiercest rivals.
"I made it abundantly clear to Darren, his advisors and many enquiring clubs that Millwall were not seeking to make him available for transfer."
MMIX
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Match of the Day - Post-match interviews