Chris Wood of Birmingham City celebrates his 99th minute winner against Club Brugge. Photo / Getty
Chris Wood spent nine years mainly in England's lower leagues. He talked Michael Burgess through his best goals before his big breakthrough.
Wood joined West Bromwich Albion as a 17-year-old in July 2008. After a season with the youth team, Wood got some game time in the following campaign.
"I can remember this one as clear as anything. It was probably my 13th, 14th appearance off the bench for them and I was still young, coming up through the grades. It was a nice long ball from the keeper, it bounced just before me and I collected it on my chest. I moved around a defender and it sat up nicely. I struck it on the half-volley and luckily it went in the side netting from about 20 yards out. It was a good way to kick my career off. I'd been waiting a while, and as a striker, even though I was young and a sub, you want to get that first one as soon as possible."
After a fruitless loan spell at Barnsley (7 games, 0 goals), Wood moved south to play for the Seagulls. He showed his self-belief wasn't damaged by making an immediate impact for Gus Poyet's team.
"I had only signed for Brighton two days before, after a difficult spell at Barnsley. We got a penalty and I was confident enough to say I was happy to take it. The usual taker let me take it, which was really nice of him, and the boys that I had just joined were confident enough for me to do the job. Thankfully it worked out."
Wood had helped Brighton gain promotion but they elected not to sign him permanently. He was loaned to Birmingham in August 2011, where he scored the first hat-trick of his professional career.
"The first one was very scrappy - it bounced off my left shin and in - but you take them all. The last two came in the second half; a right-foot strike from outside the penalty area and then a header from the edge of the 18 yard box in the 91st minute, as the keeper came out. It was nice to get a hat-trick so early in my career, and scoring a 'perfect' one [left foot, right foot, header] just capped it off. The match ball was signed by all my team-mates and I've still got it at home."
Wood had played his first game in Europe two months earlier, with a goal in the second leg against CD Nacional (Portugal) helping Birmingham into the Europa League group stages. Brugge had considerable European pedigree, having reached European Cup and the UEFA Cup finals in the 1970s.
"Marlon King and I came on when it was 1-1 with about 15 minutes to go. One of our players went down with a head injury and play was stopped for about eight or nine minutes, so we had 10 minutes injury time. Towards the end, Marlon got it down the right, did a nice turn and put it into the box. I was marked by one of my old mates from West Brom, Ryan Donk, and luckily I just got in front of him and stabbed it home to the delight of 5000 travelling fans in front of me. I love seeing photos of it because it was such a huge goal; nobody ever really scores in the 99th minute. To win a game in Europe, away from home, like that was massive and it will always be in my mind."
Wood returned to West Brom in January 2012 and was sent out to Bristol City nine days later. It was his fourth loan spell and he immediately made a mark.
"It was a cross from the right hand side and I got in front of my man and headed it into the corner. It's always nice to get off the mark early . . . it was my second game for them. It's good to get those goals ticking over because that is what teams sign you on loan to do. At this stage, I was getting a bit of a reputation for scoring goals, and it was good to have that confidence from your team-mates and manager."
After three months at Millwall, Wood was recalled by West Brom following interest from Leicester. He had made only six starts for his parent club in three years, but had made more than 100 Football League appearances at various loan clubs. He joined the Foxes for £1 million, playing alongside Jamie Vardy, who had been signed a few months earlier.
"It was an unusual situation. I played my last game for Millwall on the 28th of December, knowing my loan deal was at its end. There was talk of a move to Leicester and that happened very quickly. I had trained one day with the team, then the gaffer [Nigel Pearson] pulled me aside after that session and said, 'if we get clearance for you to play tomorrow, you're going to start'. And what a start it was. Inside five minutes, I had my first goal and the second followed halfway through the first half. It was a great way to begin life at Leicester."
Leicester had been promoted to the Premier League as champions, ending a 10-year absence from the top flight. Wood was often used from the bench in their promotion season but still managed a respectable eight goals from 29 appearances. He came on in the 78th minute at King Power Stadium, and eight minutes later dispatched a vital equaliser.
"This was the biggest and best goal I'd ever scored, especially for what it meant to me and my family. It was always an ambition of mine to score in the Premier League. To do it on the opening day and against a team that over the years and age group levels I'd been fortunate against was very special. It was a great day all round, filled with loads of joy and excitement."
After 62 games (20 goals) for Leicester, Wood moved to Elland Road. Wolves had been favourites for his signature but baulked at the £3 million fee, allowing Leeds to swoop. Wood opened his account in his third game for the Whites. It was his first league goal in a year, since the memorable strike against Everton.
"It was a nice easy tap-in made by [team-mate] Stuart Dallas. Stuey gave me the easy task of putting it in but I guess I had to work hard to be in the right place at the right time. It was nice to score in front of a massive crowd and fan base. It turned out to be a very up and down relationship with them."
Wood scored a dramatic injury time equaliser against Rafael Benitez's Newcastle to propel Leeds into fourth place in the Championship and on target for the playoffs.
"This is the goal that all Leeds fans talk about when they see me. It was a game in which we were dominated and didn't have anything really good coming out of the game but it ended up being a half-chance that turned into a great goal. In the 95th minute, some lovely work by Pablo Hernandez on the ball got it to Kemar Roofe, and with a nice turn and early cross, I found myself in loads of space to guide it home. In front of 4000 Leeds fans and 50,000 upset Newcastle fans, it was a goal I won't forget."
Wood became only the sixth player in the 98-year history of Leeds United to score 30 goals in a season, in a game in which he also reached 100 senior goals in British football.
"I was sitting on 29 goals for the season and everyone was talking about it during the week, asking 'are you going to get 30?' and all this. All I could say was 'hopefully'. And the media guys told me I was sitting on 99 career goals, so I was a small step off some great achievements.
"Thankfully we got a penalty because nothing else was really happening in the game - it was a typical end-of-season match. I stroked it home, which capped off a great personal season but I was still extremely gutted we didn't make the playoffs after all our hard work. But to end with 30 goals in a season and be top scorer in the Championship, a dream of mine, meant it was a season I can be proud of."