Chris Wood: Nottingham Forest Striker who competes with Mo Salah and Erling Haaland in the Premier League after rising from New Zealand | Football news

After playing at the highest 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 debut in the Premier League for West Brom under Tony Mowbray in 2009.

Although he regularly played next season, as West Brom relegated to the league, as soon as the Wood was promoted again, he found that he had to go elsewhere to play consistent minutes.

This led kiwi to an incredible three -year period where it played a loan for six different clubs – ranging from Barnsley to the south coast of Brighton, a return to Midlands in Birmingham, a spell to the west in Bristol City, a profitable spell in Millwall before being back in Midlands in Leicester – the club that will be permanently involved.

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“I just wanted to see the country!” The wood was joking. “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 football was. Barnsley was a difficult time. Then he went to Brighton and we won the League One – he had a lot of time.

“He played with Birmingham then at Bristol City to try to get more playing time – but they were all different situations and scripts – they were all great in their individual way.”

A turning point in Leeds

After a few years at Leicester, Wood joined Leeds in 2015 and incredibly, despite the fact that he took it around England, the striker was still 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 had 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 director Garry Monk and former fighter James Beattie joined the club that Wood enjoyed his best season to date – scoring 27 goals in 27 goals in 44 appearances in the championship.

“When Garry Monk and James Beattie came, it was a bit of a change in the guard from the previous manager.

“Beattie had a great influence on my career. There were times when fans were probably on my back at the beginning of the season, but James really helped me on the pitch, work for my mental power and know that you can get through anything.

“This helped and put me in my best season.

“He was really playing the role of a single striker, a focal point for the team,” Beattie explained.

“He was frustrated because he didn’t see the ball as much as he wanted and thought he didn’t contribute – but he was very much.

“If you fall into the middle section and clog everything, then the plans will not come and you will not be able to complete the chances – it took a while, but it was there in the end and his willingness to hear and believe me.”

Burnley and consistency

You could forgive that you think that wood only shows how consistent it can be at the highest level of English football.

When he joined Burnley for about £ 15m in 2017, it was the signature of Clarets’s Record who signs at that time, but over time, more than showed his value to the side.

Returning to the Premier League seven years after making his debut, Wood was extremely important to keep Burnley on top flight for the next five seasons.

“I had five great years there and scored a lot of goals and I scored a lot – they get into the Europa League with burnley and such things – we did extremely well with 18 other boys who got stuck together for five years,” Wood said.

He scored more than 10 goals in each of his first four seasons at the Club and created an effective twin with partner Strike Ashley Barnes.

Wood described his time with Barnes as a “telepathy”, but the latter, who recently re -examined Clarets, feel the same?

“We had this connection,” Barnes reflected in his time with wood.

“We only did the opposite movements all the time and just killed these defenders – we could both hold the ball and both run back.

“It was just a mixture and a race of movement and that’s why we achieved so much.

“He can find the net anywhere – it’s seemingly. We had a fantastic relationship inside and outside the stadium and I’m still talking to him now.”

Nottingham, nuno and a heritage touch

After a year at Newcastle and the first team opportunities somewhat limited, Wood joined Forest in January 2023.

It was only seven times in the second half of that season, after getting an injury to the thigh that ruled him for the rest of the season.

Although he appeared under the former coach of Forest Steve Cooper, his goal was significantly increased when today’s boss Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed in December 2023.

“Nuno gave me the confidence to be the number nine and start, and then we started playing a little more positively with more aggressive creativity,” Wood said.

“While at the beginning of the season, we were a little more defensive – I think the Nuno game really matched the way I play.”

As a former high school coach, New Zealand’s international Mike Groom said of Wood’s impact on his home country: “When they talk about Mo Salah and Erling Haaland – report Chris Wood with the same breath – you can’t compete with it .

“It’s theatrical. It’s magical. They are the things of the dreams and dreams of children are fueled by these images and the exhibition.

“We are still a rugby country. But Chris begins to change it individually.”

The Wood has not only become a Premier League productive striker, but also the New Zealand scorer, the captain and is very close to breaking the record for appearances for his country.

If you had said a 16 -year -old wood when he first arrived in England for his career, would he believe what he was able to achieve so far?

“It’s definitely overcome what I dreamed of when I was a kid and I hope I have a lot more to achieve to make it an even better dream,” Wood said.

“I want to keep the path open for young Zealanders to reach the Premier League one day – I want to grow up this generation of young children who want to play football and want to dream of doing the best they can and end up in . “

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