GAVIN Ward is relishing a rare opportunity to prove his worth when he makes his first appearance of the season at Birmingham on Wednesday.

The goalkeeper takes over from Keith Branagan at St Andrews as the regular Burnden No 1 serves a one-match suspension.

Ward, signed for £350,000 from Bradford City in April, knows his chances of ousting in-form Branagan are limited. But he is determined to prove he is ready and able to turn the 90-minute stint into a long stay arrangement.

"It's a big game for us and a chance for me to impress," he says. "Hopefully it's a chance I can take.

"It's been disappointing not being involved in the first team but Keith and the team are playing well and you can only play one keeper.

"It's not something that gets me down. If you allow it to do that then you shouldn't be involved in football in the first place.

"I'm experienced enough to get on with it and be ready to take my opportunities when they come."

Ward will figure in a new look Wanderers side when they aim to strengthen their lead at the top of the First Division at Birmingham.

Branagan and midfielder Alan Thompson are suspended and they are also in danger of being without striker Nathan Blake and skipper Gudni Bergsson who have been pulled out of this weekend's World Cup qualifying matches with injury.

Ward's pedigree suggests Branagan's absence will be the least of Todd's worries.

Despite being still only 26, his nomadic career has so far taken in six clubs and Wanderers can expect him to tackle the job on Wednesday with the assurance of somebody who somebody who arrived at Burnden Park with a £350,000 price tag around his neck.

"It will be a big night for me because I'm a Midlands lad and a lot of my friends are Birmingham fanatics," says Ward who supported Aston Villa as a youngster and began his career as an apprentice at Villa Park where he got as far as the reserve team before moving on to Shrewsbury.

"Obviously, I'm really looking forward to it but there will be no danger of nerves, you can be sure of that.

"I've got plenty of experience and played in front of a packed house at Wembley in the play-off final for Leicester against Derby so I know about big occasions.

"I'll be going out to enjoy myself and then if it's back to the reserves then that's the way it is. The most important thing is that we bring back three points and I'll be doing everything in my power to bring that about."

After a year at Shrewsbury, Ward moved on to Cardiff City where he made his name during a four-year spell with the South Wales club. He returned to the Midlands for three years with Leicester before signing for Bradford at the start of last season. His stay in Yorkshire was cut short when Todd decided he was the man to fill Branagan's gloves in Wanderers' late bid to save their Premiership lives.

"I went straight into the team and played the last seven or eight matches," he recalls.

"I was naturally disappointed to lose the place and it's up to me to try and get back in."

He insists he has no regrets about the move to Burnden, despite his lack of first team involvement.

"Some people may have seen it as a bad move with Bolton looking like they were going down - but I didn't.

"I couldn't turn down the chance of coming from the Second Division into the Premiership and in the end we unfortunate to be relegated.

"I regarded it as a big challenge for me and that is the way it is turning out.

"We have a healthy situation here with goalkeepers and there's a friendly rivalry between us.

"We all want to be in the team but we are the best of friends - as all goalkeepers are."

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