Chris Wood scored a brilliant hat-trick against Newcastle. Photo / Getty Images
Chris Wood scored a brilliant hat-trick against Newcastle. Photo / Getty Images
When Chris Wood was a kid growing up in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga, his father had a couple of key rules for the aspiring footballer.
Along with such principles as respecting every coach and fellow player – and not being afraid to try things, within the boundaries of teamplay – Grant Wood also insisted his son work equally with either foot.
Back then Wood was like any other Kiwi youngster – he wanted to play sport and have fun with his mates – but he was more dedicated than most. He took on his father’s advice, whether in the backyard with his talented sister Chelsey or later at junior clubs Onehunga Sport, Onehunga Mangere and Cambridge FC.
Every session, with controlling, passing or shooting, Wood would try to spend as much time working on his weaker left foot as his natural right. It wasn’t always fun – but it paid off – as he became comfortable and confident on either, to the point that teammates at some of his professional clubs in England weren’t always sure which was his stronger foot, such was his ability.
The second strike was particularly sublime, as Wood turned a defender inside out then produced a perfect dinked chip.
It’s a considerable asset – and makes Wood much more effective than players who favour one side, as he is able to choose the best option rather than manufacture a more awkward angle on his right.
Wood’s numbers make for impressive reading. His trio against Newcastle took him to 62 Premier League strikes from 213 games. After taking out the headed efforts (22), 35 per cent of his goals (14) have come with his left foot and the remainder on his right (26), including five penalties.
Chris Wood joined Forest permanently before the season. Photo / Photosport
Wood’s overall tally in the toughest football league in the world is also remarkable. He has drawn level with David Beckham and Stan Collymore and gone ahead of Gianfranco Zola, Peter Beardsley, Clint Dempsey, Harry Kewell and Andy Carroll.
Wood has also found the perfect home at Forest after a challenging time at Newcastle, where almost half his appearances were off the bench.
He is becoming a cult hero at the City Ground, with fans appreciating his work ethic, passion and drive. And he’s on a hot streak, with four goals and an assist in two matches.
It feels like the start of a new chapter for the 32-year-old, who shows no signs of slowing down. He already has seven league goals this campaign – only eight players, including Erling Haaland, Mo Salah and Son Heung-min - have more, while he is ahead of Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Darwin Nunez (Liverpool), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea) and Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal).
That tally has come from just six starts (and 17 appearances overall), though he is likely to get more opportunities under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
On a national scale, Wood is creating records that will likely never be broken. His achievements in English professional football – he has now scored against 25 different Premier League clubs over the years, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Spurs and Arsenal – tend to go under the radar here, even though they shouldn’t.
Chris Wood on his way to scoring his third against Newcastle on Boxing Day. Photo / Photosport
It used to be a big deal just to have a Kiwi in the Premier League, but to have a New Zealander scoring goals regularly – the hardest thing in football – is something else. Despite lean spells in the last two seasons (five goals in 2021-22 and three in 2022-23), Wood has maintained a career average of better than a goal every four games.
It’s an enduring shame that Wood’s achievements – like those of fellow trailblazer Steven Adams – haven’t been recognised at the Halberg Awards, though that reflects a weakness of the judging system and the lack of a category that honours accomplishments in global sports.
But Wood will keep marching on, arguably more appreciated in England than here.
Wednesday’s feat will live long in the memory. He always enjoys duels against previous clubs, though he tried to minimise his goal celebrations out of respect for fans at St James’ Park.
Wood became just the fourth player in Premier League history to notch a hat-trick against a former club, after Andy Cole (v Newcastle), Marcus Bent (v Blackburn Rovers) and Joshua King (v Everton). He also joined an illustrious list who have managed a Boxing Day treble, with Thierry Henry, Kevin Phillips, Robbie Fowler, Dimitar Berbatov, Gareth Bale and Harry Kane the others.
“He has been in the game for a while now,” said Nuno after the match. “But the way he did it, how he scored, how he was in the right moments ... The second goal is beautiful, the one v one and then the composure to flick the ball over the keeper.
“I really hope he does it again because the talent is there.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
