Chris Wood (footballer born 1991)
Encyclopedia
Christopher "Chris" Grant Wood (born 7 December 1991) is a New Zealand
footballer who plays for Birmingham City
on loan from West Bromwich Albion
. A striker, Wood has been capped seventeen times by his country the New Zealand national football team, scoring once.
, Wood attended Cambridge East primary then St Paul's Collegiate School
and started his youth and senior career with ASB Premiership club Waikato FC
then to later go on to transfer to play for Hamilton Wanderers
in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier
before moving to English
club West Bromwich Albion. His sister Chelsey Wood is also an accomplished footballer, having represented New Zealand
at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
in Chile
and the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
in Germany
.
found a rich vein of goal scoring form for West Brom's youth academy side, leading to a call up to the reserve team where he was just as prolific. Injuries to West Brom front-liners gave Wood a surprise call up to a trip to Fratton Park to play Premier League side Portsmouth
in April 2009. Wood came off the bench to become just the fifth New Zealander to play in the Premiership.
At the end of the 2008–09 season
, Wood agreed his first professional contract, signing a two-year deal at Albion, with a further two-year option in the club's favour. This was followed in December 2009 where he signed a new three and a half year deal, with West Brom having the option to extend that for a further year. He scored his first professional goal for West Brom on 15 September 2009, a stunning 25 metre strike in to the top left corner, in a 3–1 win over Doncaster Rovers.
He scored his second senior goal in a 2–0 win over Huddersfield Town
less than 7 minutes after coming off the bench in West Brom's FA Cup 3rd round tie on 2 January 2010.
on 24 September 2010.
on a loan deal lasting until January 2011.
He scored on his debut against Bristol Rovers but saw a penalty saved just days later against Southampton. He added to his scoring tally by scoring in the 3-1 FA Cup win over Portsmouth. He then scored an impressive double against Peterborough.
season, Wood joined Birmingham City
on a month's loan. He made his debut the following day, replacing Keith Fahey
in the second half of a 2–1 defeat at Derby County
. Playing as the lone striker in Birmingham's first match in major European competition for nearly 50 years, the Europa League play-off round first leg against Portuguese club Nacional, Wood hit the frame of the goal twice. The game finished goalless. He scored his first goal for Birmingham in the second leg of the tie against Nacional. On 11 September, Wood scored a hat-trick
to lead Birmingham to victory over Millwall
, followed by two goals against Nottingham Forest
on 2 October to take his league total to seven goals from eight games. His loan was then extended for a second time, until 5 January 2012. His eighth, to clinch a 2–0 defeat of Leicester City, came when Marlon King
played a cross-field ball for Wood to run on to and, according to The Independent
, "the composure he revealed to go past Kasper Schmeichel and slot the ball home from an angle was impressive". Four days later, Wood scored in the 10th minute of stoppage time to defeat Club Brugge 2–1 in the Europa League group stage
.
level and was a standout performer for the Kiwi's at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
, a tournament which earned him a trial with English football club West Brom
, whom he later signed with.
After a string of impressive performances for club, Wood's rise on the international stage continued and was fast-tracked into All Whites' coach Ricki Herbert
's squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
in South Africa
, and made his debut in a friendly against Tanzania
on 3 June 2009 in a warm up match prior to the tournament.
In May 2010, he was named in the All Whites World Cup squad, and at 18 was the youngest member of the New Zealand team which travelled to South Africa.
Wood scored his first official international goal on 10 October 2010 in his country's 1–1 draw with Honduras
.
With West Bromwich Albion
With Brighton & Hove Albion
National
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
footballer who plays for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
on loan from West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. A striker, Wood has been capped seventeen times by his country the New Zealand national football team, scoring once.
Early life
Born in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, Wood attended Cambridge East primary then St Paul's Collegiate School
St Paul's Collegiate School
This article relates to an Anglican school. For a Catholic secondary school with a similar name see: St Paul's College in Ponsonby, AucklandSt Paul's Collegiate School is an independent Anglican secondary school in Hamilton, New Zealand...
and started his youth and senior career with ASB Premiership club Waikato FC
Waikato FC
Waikato Football Club, currently known as Yardhouse Waikato Football Club due to sponsorship agreements, is a football club based in Hamilton, New Zealand. The club was founded in 2004 and currently play in the ASB Premiership...
then to later go on to transfer to play for Hamilton Wanderers
Hamilton Wanderers
Hamilton Wanderers is an semi-professional association football club in Hamilton, New Zealand. They compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier.-External links:**...
in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier
Northern League (New Zealand)
The Northern Region Football League, or Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier for sponsorship reasons, is a professional/semi-professional New Zealand association football league competition that is run by the...
before moving to English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club West Bromwich Albion. His sister Chelsey Wood is also an accomplished footballer, having represented New Zealand
New Zealand women's national under-20 football team
The New Zealand women's Under-20 Football Team, informally known as the 'Junior Football Ferns', is the representative team for New Zealand in international Under-20 football tournaments.-By Tournament:-2006:-2008:-2010:...
at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
The 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup was held in Chile between November 19 and December 7, 2008. Sixteen teams, comprising representatives from all six confederations, took part in the final competition, in which Chile had a guaranteed place as the host nation....
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
The 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup was held in Germany from July 13 to August 1. Sixteen teams, comprising representatives from all six confederations, were taking part in the final competition, in which Germany had a guaranteed place as the host nation....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
West Bromwich Albion
The young KiwiKiwi (people)
Kiwi is the nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand, as well as being a relatively common self-reference. The name derives from the kiwi, a flightless bird, which is native to, and the national symbol of, New Zealand...
found a rich vein of goal scoring form for West Brom's youth academy side, leading to a call up to the reserve team where he was just as prolific. Injuries to West Brom front-liners gave Wood a surprise call up to a trip to Fratton Park to play Premier League side Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in April 2009. Wood came off the bench to become just the fifth New Zealander to play in the Premiership.
At the end of the 2008–09 season
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
, Wood agreed his first professional contract, signing a two-year deal at Albion, with a further two-year option in the club's favour. This was followed in December 2009 where he signed a new three and a half year deal, with West Brom having the option to extend that for a further year. He scored his first professional goal for West Brom on 15 September 2009, a stunning 25 metre strike in to the top left corner, in a 3–1 win over Doncaster Rovers.
He scored his second senior goal in a 2–0 win over Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
less than 7 minutes after coming off the bench in West Brom's FA Cup 3rd round tie on 2 January 2010.
Barnsley
Wood was sent out on a 93-day emergency loan for BarnsleyBarnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
on 24 September 2010.
Brighton
On 19 November 2010 Wood signed on loan for Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
on a loan deal lasting until January 2011.
He scored on his debut against Bristol Rovers but saw a penalty saved just days later against Southampton. He added to his scoring tally by scoring in the 3-1 FA Cup win over Portsmouth. He then scored an impressive double against Peterborough.
Birmingham City
The day before the first match of the Football League ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
season, Wood joined Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
on a month's loan. He made his debut the following day, replacing Keith Fahey
Keith Fahey
Keith Declan Fahey is an Republic of Ireland international footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City. With Ireland he was part of the team that secured qualification for UEFA Euro 2012....
in the second half of a 2–1 defeat at Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Playing as the lone striker in Birmingham's first match in major European competition for nearly 50 years, the Europa League play-off round first leg against Portuguese club Nacional, Wood hit the frame of the goal twice. The game finished goalless. He scored his first goal for Birmingham in the second leg of the tie against Nacional. On 11 September, Wood scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
to lead Birmingham to victory over Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, followed by two goals against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on 2 October to take his league total to seven goals from eight games. His loan was then extended for a second time, until 5 January 2012. His eighth, to clinch a 2–0 defeat of Leicester City, came when Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...
played a cross-field ball for Wood to run on to and, according to The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, "the composure he revealed to go past Kasper Schmeichel and slot the ball home from an angle was impressive". Four days later, Wood scored in the 10th minute of stoppage time to defeat Club Brugge 2–1 in the Europa League group stage
2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage
This article details the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage.The group stage will feature 48 teams: the 38 winners of the play-off round, and the 10 losing teams from the Champions League play-off round....
.
International career
Wood represented New Zealand at Under-17New Zealand national under-17 football team
The New Zealand Under 17's football team, more commonly known as the Young All Whites, is controlled by New Zealand Football and represents New Zealand in international Under 17 or youth football competitions....
level and was a standout performer for the Kiwi's at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007 was held in the Korea Republic between 18 August and 9 September 2007. For this event, the number of teams had been expanded from 16 to 24, with the top two of each group and the four best third-place teams advancing to the Round of 16...
, a tournament which earned him a trial with English football club West Brom
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, whom he later signed with.
After a string of impressive performances for club, Wood's rise on the international stage continued and was fast-tracked into All Whites' coach Ricki Herbert
Ricki Herbert
Ricki Lloyd Herbert, CNZM is a New Zealand former association football player who represented his country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain...
's squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and made his debut in a friendly against Tanzania
Tanzania national football team
The Tanzania national football team represents Tanzania in association football and is controlled by the Tanzania Football Federation, the governing body for football in Tanzania. Tanzania's home ground is Benjamin Mkapa national stadium in Dar-es-Salaam and their head coach is Jan Børge Poulsen....
on 3 June 2009 in a warm up match prior to the tournament.
In May 2010, he was named in the All Whites World Cup squad, and at 18 was the youngest member of the New Zealand team which travelled to South Africa.
Wood scored his first official international goal on 10 October 2010 in his country's 1–1 draw with Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
.
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Minute | Match Report | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 October 2010 | 1–1 | Draw | Friendly | |||||||
| Last updated 9 October 2010 | |||||||||||
Club statistics
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waikato FC Waikato FC Waikato Football Club, currently known as Yardhouse Waikato Football Club due to sponsorship agreements, is a football club based in Hamilton, New Zealand. The club was founded in 2004 and currently play in the ASB Premiership... |
2007–08 | NZFC New Zealand Football Championship The New Zealand Football Championship is the national association football league in New Zealand. It is a professional/semi-professional status Association football sports Franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 |
||||||||||
| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
2008–09 2008–09 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season During the 2008–09 English football season West Bromwich Albion F.C. competed in the Premier League .-Kit:... |
Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2009–10 | Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... |
18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 23 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2010–11 2010–11 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season The 2010–11 season was West Bromwich Albion's fifth season in the Premier League. Albion return to the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship... |
Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| Club total | 21 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... (loan) | 2010–11 2010–11 Barnsley F.C. season -Current squad:-Pre-Season:Jon Macken, Daniel Bogdanovic, Darren Moore, Anderson de Silva, Simon Heslop, Rob Kozluk and Michael Coulson were all released from Oakwell with Heslop signing for Oxford United Bogdanovic and Kozluk joining Sheffield United, Moore joining Burton Albion and Coulson... |
Championship | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... (loan) |
2010–11 2010–11 Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. season The 2010–11 season will be Brighton & Hove Albion'sfourth consecutive season in the League One.-Key Dates:2010*7.5.10: Swansea defender Marcos Painter agrees to a two-year pre-contract which he later signs.... |
League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... |
29 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 31 | 9 | |||||||||
| Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... (loan) |
2011–12 2011–12 Birmingham City F.C. season The 2011–12 season is Birmingham City Football Clubs 110th season in the English football league system. It runs from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012. After relegation from the Premier League in 2010–11 under previous manager Alex McLeish, the team will play in the Football League Championship under... |
Championship | 16 | 8 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 10 | |||||||||
| Career totals | 78 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 91 | 22 | ||||||||||
Honours
ClubWith West Bromwich Albion
- Football League Championship:
- Runners-up: 2009–10
With Brighton & Hove Albion
- Football League One:
- Champions: 2010-112010–11 Football League OneThe 2010–11 Football League One is the seventh season of the league under its current title and nineteenth season under its current league division format...
National
- New Zealand U-20 Men’s Player of the Year: 2008, 2009
See also
- New Zealand national football team
- New Zealand at the FIFA World CupNew Zealand at the FIFA World CupThe New Zealand national football team has participated in two FIFA World Cups, the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa....
- New Zealand national football team results
- List of New Zealand international footballers
External links
- Academy player profile at wba.co.uk