Helen Ward: Wales' all-time leading goalscorer eyes promotion in final game of her career

Wales' all-time leading goalscorer Helen Ward says football has given her "everything" as she prepares to bring the curtain down on her playing career.

Ward's Watford take on Nottingham Forest in the Women's National League play-off final at Milton Keynes on Saturday (13:00 BST).

Ward, 37, is set for the final appearance of her career.

"I met my husband through football and we've got two beautiful kids," the striker said.

"So it's literally given me my world, some of my best memories and my best friends.

"It's taught me how to be a good person, a good team-mate, to work hard for success and how to deal with disappointment and setbacks."

Watford were beaten 3-2 in extra time by Nottingham Forest in the FA Women's National League Cup final in April.

This time the prize on offer is promotion to the Championship, which Ward says is a nice distraction heading into the final game of her 22nd season as a player.

"It's a huge game," said Ward. "Weirdly because there's so much riding on it, it means less to me on a personal [level] than it does for me thinking of the team."

Watford pipped Ipswich Town to the Southern National League title on goal difference, with Forest doing the same to finish ahead of Wolves in the Northern National League.

"Winning the league last weekend was great," Ward added.

"I told the girls make sure you enjoy it because you don't get many opportunities to win titles whatever team sport you're playing, or club you're at.

"I'd settle for a one-sided affair in our favour [on Saturday] but I'm not quite sure it'll go that way. It's going to be tight."

Helen Ward and her Watford team-mates pictured alongside the new mural

From back garden to Watford club legend

Ward, who scored 44 goals in 105 games for Wales, began her playing career at Watford as a 15-year-old, having started playing "for fun in the garden" with her brother.

"He sort of said, 'You're not bad'," she said.

"You don't get a compliment from your older brother too often, so I took his word on it and came to a training session here at Watford and never looked back.

"It's been a journey for me from being a kid just playing for the fun of it, to now having kids being able to have players to look up to and a career to aspire to."

Ward had spells with Arsenal, Chelsea and Reading before returning to Watford, the club where it all started.

There is a new mural at Vicarage Road depicting the striker.

"When you look and see Luther Blissett, Elton John and Graham Taylor are the three other murals at the ground, to be included in that company is a little bit surreal to be honest," Ward added.

"Their status - as any Watford fan and most football fans would know - at this club is legendary.

"I'm nowhere near that bracket so to even have my own little wall in the stand is incredible.

"I'm massively honoured and privileged and being at the club that I support as well, it means the world to me and my family too.

"It's a little bit daunting when you see your own face so big, but thankfully when I go to watch the men's team play I come in through a very different entrance of the ground so I don't have to walk past it too often. But it's nice to know it's there."

Ward's longevity in the game means there are many chants sung about her by Watford and Wales supporters alike - including to the tune of Baby Shark - but she has highlighted her favourite.

"I quite like the 'Wardie's on fire', that's quite a good one to listen to," she said.

"At the weekend we had 'If Wardie scores, we're on the pitch'.

"I didn't score which was unfortunate because I'd have liked to have seen that, but any time your name is sung in the stands by a group of people in support, it is obviously amazing.

"I'm grateful for everybody that's come and cheered me along at some point in the last 22 years. Hopefully they know that it means the world to me."

Helen Ward is one of only nine footballers to have represented Wales more than 100 times

'No regrets'

Ward announced her retirement from international football in March, and said then she would hang up her boots at the end of the season.

On Saturday, Ward has the opportunity to end her career on a high, in the sport that she credits with teaching her many life lessons.

"I've never been a professional, so it's been crazy," she said.

"I didn't get paid until I was 22 and I signed for Arsenal, which was still a pay-as-you-play deal. But thankfully, I've managed to make a living out of the game in various different ways and I'm massively grateful for that.

"I don't wish that I was born 10, 15 years later because I've had a great time, met some of the best people in my life.

"My journey is what it is and I'm proud to have achieved what I've achieved and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"You go through anything that you learn in life and most of it I've learned through football, so I'm hugely indebted to football. People say I've given a lot to the sport, but it's certainly given me way more than I could ever imagine to give back.

"To send this club back to the Championship would be the perfect way to sign off my career."