Wood had a somewhat frustrating 12 months at Newcastle following his £25million move from Burnley in January 2022. He scored four goals in 35 Premier League appearances for the club before joining Nottingham Forest on an initial loan deal that was later made permanent for £15million.
Two years on and Wood is Forest’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer with 32 goals in 56 games including 18 in 25 so far this season. Nottingham Forest are enjoying a remarkable season as they head into the latest round of fixtures sitting third in the table, six points clear of Newcastle in seventh.
Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have scored more Premier League goals than Wood so far this season with the former Newcastle man – one goal clear of Alexander Isak on 17.
Although Wood was far from prolific at Newcastle, his two goals against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers during the 2021-22 campaign proved crucial in helping the side pick up wins that saw them steer clear of relegation danger.
Although he joined Newcastle when the club were sitting in the relegation zone, Wood was attracted by ‘the project’.
“I could see the project that Newcastle were trying to build,” he told Sky Sports.
“It was an opportunity to elevate my game and potentially take me to the next step if I went in there and scored goals and done well.
“It didn’t work out perfectly, but it worked out well. We stayed up, done extremely well and then we got Champions League the next year. I’m happy to be a part of that and the rebuild of Newcastle, and where they have gone on to is fantastic.”
Despite being on loan at Nottingham Forest at the time, Wood was in the Newcastle end at Wembley Stadium during the 2023 Carabao Cup final. His goal against Tranmere Rovers in the second round was an important one in the club’s journey to the final that season.
But the New Zealand striker has since come back to haunt his former club, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 win for Forest in their previous visit to St James’ Park on Boxing Day 2023.
Eddie Howe ‘delighted’ for Chris Wood
Wood was one of Eddie Howe’s first signings as Newcastle head coach, and also one of his first major sales. But he is pleased to see the 33-year-old flourish at Forest.
“Delighted for Chris on a personal level,” Howe said. “For me it was never lost how well he played for us, he did everything but score but his positive performances were so important in our effort to stay in the league, especially in that first season.
“The work he did, the unseen things that bring in other players and I think if you ask his teammates that season they’d say Chris Wood is one of the reasons we changed our position in the league. But he just didn’t get the goals that elevated his performances or got the wider world seeing what a transformation he played in our team.
“He was very selfless and very team-orientated which is why he’s getting the individual accolades that his goals are bringing him so I’m delighted for him personally. He’s a great lad with a great attitude who had a really good time with us so I’m really pleased to see players go on to do well.”
I wasn’t perfect for Newcastle United after £25m transfer – now I’ve scored more goals than Alexander Isak
