Danny Ward: Wales boss Rob Page 'understands' goalkeeper staying at Leicester

Danny Ward has played for Wales 38 times since making his debut in 2016

Wales manager Rob Page says he has "sympathy" for goalkeeper Danny Ward and says he "understands" why he opted not to leave the Foxes despite a lack of game time this season.

Wales' first choice goalkeeper has not played a single minute of football for Leicester all season.

All four of Wales' goalkeepers picked for their Euro 2024 play-off games are out of favour with their clubs.

"It's hard sometimes to just get out of a club, I understand that," Page said.

Wales' goalkeeping situation is Page's biggest cause for concern as his side prepare to face Finland on Thursday, 21 May at the Cardiff City Stadium, with the winners then facing Poland or Estonia in Cardiff on Tuesday, 26 May in a winner-takes-all final, with a place in Germany at Euro 2024 up for grabs.

Ward has not been playing at Leicester, back-up Wayne Hennessey has not played any games for Nottingham Forest this season and Tom King has also not played since moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer.

Sheffield United's Adam Davies has made a solitary appearance this season, but that was in the EFL Cup in August.

Wales boss Page previously told BBC Sport Wales that he wanted to influence his players not playing regularly to move clubs in January.

Several players, such as defender Connor Roberts, midfielder David Brooks and striker Kieffer Moore, were able to secure loan moves in order to increase their game time, but Ward stayed with Leicester.

Ward signed for the Foxes for £12.5m from Liverpool in 2018 and signed a new deal until at least 2025 in 2021, when Leicester were still a Premier League side.

Page says he understands there is financial element to Ward's decision and does not feel he has chosen to ignore Page's plea to seek more game time.

"I've spoken to Danny. It wasn't a case of him not listening to my advice," Page said.

"I had a couple of conversations with him. When you put your player head on, you get it, I understand it.

"When politics are involved and you've got a length of time left on your contract, it is not as easy as just getting out and playing games of football. There are many aspects to that."

Page says he understands Ward's situation even though he admits it is unhelpful to Wales.

"When I put my player head on, I have sympathy for Danny, when I put my manager head on, no, but with my player head on, of course I understand," he said.

"It's hard sometimes and not easy to just get out when there are wages, fees and all-sorts involved, it is out of your control."

Ward has featured twice for Leicester's under-21s side in the past month, most recently in a 4-3 defeat to Everton in front of a crowd of 127.

"He has played in a couple of under-23 games, he said he was going to do that and he has done," Page said.

"It's not the level [needed], we know that, but at least he's made some effort to go and play games."

Page believes Wales have become accustomed to key players not being in their club sides and feels they can cope with Ward's lack of game time.

"We've dealt with it in the past," he added.

"I'm just going to focus on the positives and the positives are that the majority of our squad are out playing football and playing well.

"We've never had the luxury of the amount of players playing that we do at the moment. We will have them up to speed and ready for the game."