In the modern game, players often tend to come and go with alarming frequency, with few figures spending a large part of their career at one club.

For Joel Ward at Crystal Palace, the above sentiment does not apply.

Signed from Portsmouth for relative peanuts back in 2012 - £400,000 to be exact - one would assume that no Palace fan would foresee just how pivotal the full-back would become, and how many incredible moments he would experience with the Eagles.

Ward recently made his 200th league appearance for the south Londoners in the 2-1 win over West Ham, so let's take a look back at four of his best moments throughout that time...

Championship Playoff Final win & last-minute clearance

You could've just included the playoff final win over Watford on this list as it is and be done with it, such was the magnitude of the achievement from a squad built of also-rans and free transfers, but Ward had a huge say in proceedings.

It was his headed clearance on the goal-line in the 120th minute from Fernando Forestieri's shot that preserved Palace's lead, earning them a reported £120m and promotion to the Premier League with a tight 1-0 win.

Late winner against Chelsea

Palace inflicted what was then just a second-ever home defeat for Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge with a 2-1 win back in 2015, and Ward was the hero once again.

The Eagles looked to be seeing out a 1-0 win but for Radamel Falcao's 79th minute equaliser, although Alan Pardew's men went straight up the other end and scored again thanks to Ward's diving header in the 81st minute.

FA Cup Final assist

Ultimately, it was probably not a day that Ward will want to remember given the result, but he did pop up with a vital moment that could've made Palace history.

Ward's clipped ball over the Manchester United backline put Jason Puncheon in on goal, where he then thumped a strike beyond David de Gea.

Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard reduced the fine assist into the gutters of history, but it was still a fine moment from the former Portsmouth man.

First Crystal Palace player to 100 Premier League appearances

Just weeks before that FA Cup final, Ward made his 100th Premier League appearance for Palace in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at The Emirates.

With the landmark showing, the Eagles No.2 became the first Palace player to reach the milestone in the Premier League - he also finds himself second behind James McArthur for most Premier League wins from a Palace player with 59.