After playing at the top level of New Zealand football at the age of just 15, Chris Wood moved to England when he was 16 and, within two years, made his Premier League debut for West Brom under Tony Mowbray in 2009.
Although he played regularly the following season as West Brom were relegated to the Championship, once they were promoted again Wood found he had to go elsewhere to play consistent minutes.
That led the Kiwi to an incredible three-year period where he played on loan for six different clubs – ranging from Barnsley to the south coast at Brighton, a return to the Midlands at Birmingham, a spell in the west at Bristol City, a profitable spell in the capital at Millwall before finding himself back in the Midlands at Leicester – the club he would then join permanently.
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“I just wanted to see the country!” Wood joked. “It made me the player I am today because I learned different things from different clubs and the experience that came with it.
“I went where the football was, Barnsley was a tough time, then went to Brighton and we won League One – had a great time.
“Played with Birmingham then went to Bristol City to try and get more game time – but it was all different situations and scenarios – they were all great in their individual way.”
A turning point at Leeds
After a few years at Leicester, Wood joined Leeds in 2015 and incredibly, despite such a long journey that took him around England, the striker was still just 23 years old.
Wood said: “I needed to go to Leeds to play more consistent football. When I was in the Premier League with Leicester, I only played seven games – I needed to go and get more game time.”
Wood had two managers in his first season with Uwe Rosler and Steve Evans but it was when former manager Garry Monk and ex-England striker James Beattie joined the club that Wood enjoyed his best season to date – scoring an impressive 27 goals in 44 appearances in the Championship.
“When Garry Monk and James Beattie came in, it was a bit of a change in the guard from the previous manager.
“Beattie had a big influence on my career. There were times when the fans were probably on my back at the start of the season but James really helped me on and off the pitch, to work on my mental strength and to know you can get through anything.
“That’s what helped and put me on to my best season. It was down to him helping me and giving me the tools to be able to thrive on the pitch.”
Chris Wood scores for Leeds in 2016
“He was actually playing the role of a single striker, a focal point for the team,” Beattie explained.
“He was getting frustrated because he wasn’t seeing the ball as much as he wanted to and he thought he wasn’t contributing – but he was quite a lot.
“If you drop into midfield and clog everything up then the patterns won’t come and you won’t be able to finish off the chances – it took a little bit of time but he was there in the end and his willingness to listen and trust me.”
Burnley and Consistency
You could be forgiven for thinking Wood is only just showing how consistent he can be at the top level of English football.
When he joined Burnley for around £15m in 2017, he was the Clarets’ record signing at the time but in time, he more than showed his value for the side.
Returning to the Premier League seven years after he made his debut, Wood was hugely significant in keeping Burnley in the top flight for the following five seasons.
“I had five great years there and scored lots of goals and achieved lots – getting into the Europa League with Burnley and things like that – we did extremely well with 18 other lads that stuck together for five years,” Wood said.
He notched more than 10 goals in each of his first four seasons at the club and created an effective duo with strike partner Ashley Barnes.
Wood described his time with Barnes as ‘telepathic’ but does the latter, who has recently re-joined the Clarets, feel the same?
“We just had that connection,” Barnes reflected on his time with Wood.
“We were just doing the opposite movements all the time and it was just killing these defenders – we could both hold the ball up and both run in behind.
“It was just a mix and match of movements and that is why we succeeded so much.
“He can find the net wherever – he is phenomenal. We had a fantastic relationship on and off the pitch and I still speak to him now.”
Nottingham, Nuno and a touch of legacy
Chris Wood scored a hat-trick in Nottingham Forest’s thumping win over Brighton
After a year at Newcastle and first-team opportunities somewhat limited, Wood joined Forest in January 2023.
He only featured seven times in the second half of that season after he picked up a thigh injury which ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Although he featured under former Forest head coach Steve Cooper, his goal output significantly increased when current boss Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed in December 2023.
“Nuno gave me the confidence to be his number nine and start, and then we started to play a bit more positively with more attacking creativity,” said Wood.
“Whereas at the start of the season, we were maybe a bit more defensive – I think the game Nuno brought in really suits the way I play.”
Chris Wood is demonstrating a historic conversion rate at Nottingham Forest so far this season whilst scoring a high percentage of his chances with one-touch finishes.
As his former high school coach, New Zealand international Mike Groom said about Wood’s impact on his homeland: “When they talk about Mo Salah and Erling Haaland – they mention Chris Wood in the same breath – you can’t compete with that.
“It’s theatrical, it’s magical, it’s the stuff of dreams and kids’ dreams are fuelled by those images and that exposure.
“We’re still a rugby-playing country, but Chris is single-handedly beginning to change that.”
Wood has not just become a prolific Premier League striker but also New Zealand’s record goal scorer, captain and is extremely close to breaking the record for appearances made for his country.
If you had told a 16-year-old Wood when he first arrived in England about his career would he have believed what he has been able to achieve so far?
“It’s definitely exceeded what I dreamed of when I was a kid and hopefully, I’ve got a lot more I can achieve to make it an even better dream,” Wood said.
“I want to keep the path open for New Zealanders to hopefully make it into the Premier League one day – I want to grow that generation of new kids wanting to play football and wanting to dream of doing the best they can and ending up in the biggest league.”
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