Alious
Chris Wood is currently one of the most prolific strikers in the Premier League, having scored 7 goals in 9 games for Nottingham Forest since his move there.
This is a remarkable turnaround considering what a current international manager said about him as a young player.
When Wood was coming through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion, their then-manager Steve Clarke apparently did not see much potential in the young striker.
According to retired goalkeeper Ben Foster, who played with Wood at West Brom, Clarke simply “let him go fully” without even giving him a chance, saying Wood was “too big, too slow, too cumbersome.”
It’s incredible to think that a player who is now thriving in the Premier League was once dismissed so harshly by a manager.
Wood’s strength, physicality and aerial ability have become major assets in his game, allowing him to be an effective target man.
Gary Neville has even commented that he’s impressed by players like Wood, suggesting that traditional “big man” strikers had become extinct in modern football.
But Wood is proving he can still succeed at the highest level through his combination of size, skill and goalscoring prowess.
Wood’s impressive start to the season has seen him match the Premier League goal tally of Nottingham Forest legend Stan Collymore, and he’s now just two behind another club great, Bryan Roy.
This remarkable turnaround from his earlier rejection shows how Wood has defied expectations and transformed his career.
Alious
