Burnley's Chris Wood, right, scores during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Crystal Palace at Turf Moor. Phot / AP
Burnley's Chris Wood, right, scores during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Crystal Palace at Turf Moor. Phot / AP
Chris Wood has achieved another impressive milestone in the English Premier League, becoming just the fourth player from Australasia to score a half century of goals.
The All Whites striker notched his 50th goal in Burnley's 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday, joining an exclusive club with his first-halfheader.
Socceroo greats Mark Viduka (92), Harry Kewell (57) and Tim Cahill (56) are the only other players from this region to reach the benchmark.
And that trio managed the feat with bigger, more dominant clubs (Leeds, Liverpool and Everton respectively) while Wood generally lives off fewer chances per game playing for the Clarets.
The Premier League is the world's toughest footballing environment, which adds further gravitas.
For perspective, no German or Russian has reached the 50-goal milestone in the Premier League history, and only one Mexican (Chicharito, 53) and two Italians (Paolo Di Canio, 66, and Gianfranco Zola, 59).
It's a remarkable achievement, especially as Wood had to wait a long time for a regular Premier League opportunity.
He had three brief appearances off the bench for West Bromwich Albion as a teenager in 2009 and 2010, then seven games, all as a second-half substitute, for Leicester in the 2014/15 season.
He scored his first Premier League goal at the Foxes, but only had 107 minutes of match time across that campaign.
But his career has taken off at Turf Moor, since his club-record transfer from Leeds in August 2017. He has hit double-digit goals in each of his four seasons, helping them achieve their longest ongoing stint in the Premier League.
Burnley's Chris Wood celebrates with teammates, after scoring against Brentford. Photo / AP
Wood has now found the net against 21 different Premier League clubs across his career, including Manchester United, Spurs, Arsenal and Everton.
His favourite opponents have been West Ham, with seven goals in eight games, along with two assists.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have also been hurt – with five goals in six matches – while he has enjoyed proving a point against Leicester, with four goals.
Wood has also found the net three times against six different teams, including Everton, Spurs and Brighton and has particularly good records against Norwich (3/3), Bournemouth (3/5) and Aston Villa (3/5).
The 29-year-old has also managed two memorable strikes at Old Trafford – one of the most famous stadiums in the world – helping Burnley to a memorable draw in 2019 and then a famous win last season.
And unlike many strikers, Wood hasn't relied on bolstering his tally from the spot, with only three penalties (from three attempts) among his half-century.
He is accomplished off either foot, with nine goals with his left foot, 23 with his right and 17 headers.
And his interventions are usually vital, given the Clarets don't often manage emphatic results, with his goals contributing to 26 victories and 10 draws.
Wood is Burnley's all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, with 49 goals from 139 games, at an impressive strike rate of 0.35, but wants to chase more records.
"It means a lot. I'll look at it more when I retire and things like that, but for now it's nice," Wood said of the 50-goal milestone after the Palace match. "It hasn't really sunk in or anything like that. It's a case now of I want to kick on and do even more."
