Aston Villa may only be three years into their Women's Super League journey but they are already intent on closing the gap to the top four - and they are using the transfer market to do it.
A key part of Ward's philosophy was making each player feel valued and she did that by connecting with them on a personal level. "We finished as the best of the rest, which is what everyone wants," Ward said. "We know it comes with it. But the expectation from within is far greater than those on the outside and that's the reality.
Villa have made some big signings in recent windows, including last season's Golden Boot winner and Player of the Year Rachel Daly. Part of Villa's recruitment strategy is to create 'bands' of players. That means they identify players to sign who are intended to improve the starting XI, others who can compete for a place and others who will provide squad depth.
Not just recruiting talent, but retaining talent, has been key to Villa's success since earning promotion to the WSL in 2020.