Exclusive: Frustrated Chris Wood reveals why he nearly quit All Whites

New Zealand All Whites player Chris Wood poses for a photograph during a New Zealand All Whites media opportunity at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

All Whites striker Chris Wood admits he has considered international retirement in recent months, such is his ongoing frustration around the lack of opportunities for the team to evolve and develop offered by New Zealand Football and the board.

Wood is one of the most dedicated players to wear the silver fern, accumulating 70 appearances since 2009, despite a demanding professional career in England, including the last six years in the Premier League.

He has always put his country first – sometimes at a cost to his club ambitions – and is an intensely proud Kiwi, who has never lost sight of his roots despite his achievements, which include a remarkable 157 goals in English professional football.

Representing his country is the pinnacle but Wood has grown increasingly disenchanted with the All Whites' situation, especially across this last cycle.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused all kind of issues, but even before that the team played just six times in the first two years of the cycle, with the upheavals caused by the bizarre appointment of Fritz Schmid as coach, then his subsequent departure, among other things.

That left a short runaway, after Covid finally subsided, with nine months to build into the critical Fifa intercontinental playoff.

Wood fears a pattern repeating, as almost four months since that Doha defeat, there are still no All Whites fixtures locked in for 2023, while the future of coach Danny Hay is uncertain.

Off the back of his frustration over the Hay situation - which Wood described as "unbelievable" - the Newcastle United striker almost reached a tipping point in August, exasperated by the board's refusal to consider chasing games in November.

As revealed by the Weekend Herald last week, Wood, along with captain Winston Reid, Bill Tuiloma and Joe Bell, wrote to the board in mid-July, asking them to reconsider their decision not to seek matches in the pre-World Cup window.

The players were hoping to initiate a discussion, but instead received a 900 word letter from NZF President Johanna Wood and deputy Scott Moran, shutting down any possibility.

Around that time Wood admits he had discussions with his family about international retirement.

"I thought if it is going to be the same old, same old then it will make it extremely hard to carry on," Wood tells the Weekend Herald. "If there was still an [intercontinental] playoff match at the end again and things didn't change over the next year, there would have been a decision to be made on my part.

"It would have been a shame and I hope it doesn't come to that and I don't think it will – but there was a part of me thinking that way."

It has been an accumulation for Wood and some senior players, with different frustrations over the years, some preceding the current NZF hierarchy and board. But the stonewalled reply to the letter was a definite low point.

Chris Wood of the Whites walks off injured during the International Friendly match between the New Zealand All Whites and Australia Socceroos. Photo / Getty Images.

"The response we got – there was a lack of empathy to it," says Wood. "It made us feel like assets, not people, not human beings; not someone they can come and talk to and understand. The letter was a full stop on the conversation."

Wood had expected ongoing dialogue, but it never happened.

"It was 'we hear your points but no, you are still not going to play'," says Wood. "No discussion of what can we do to get this team playing, what do we need? [No thought] about where does it cost the most to travel and where does it cost the least...or [saying] 'we want to minimise costs, but we don't want to stop you playing, so let's try'."

Wood's frustration is multi-faceted. He saw November as a "golden opportunity", with teams seeking games in and around the Fifa World Cup in Doha.

The Weekend Herald understands that NZF had approaches from at least three top-50 nations.

"We had opportunities….but they all got turned down," says Wood. "Which is a shame. They were beneficial and probably wouldn't have cost as much as normally. And if big teams are coming to you, you don't turn them down because you might never get the chance again."

After 14 years as an All White, Wood understands the financial and logistical challenges of putting programmes together and the infrequent chances to play top ranked teams, but also realises the benefits of such matches.

"You become a better squad," says Wood. "Playing Australia was fantastic; they are a great side and you get punished if you make a mistake so you learn a lot more. Whereas against the Island nations you don't get punished in the same way."

Wood feels the NZF board should be interested in more engagement and ideas, especially given the executive committee doesn't have many personnel with a playing or high performance background.

"They are not all football-based people, so why not come talk to the coaches, the staff, the players if you want?" says Wood. "We are not like England, who have resources of ex-players or people from clubs who have come into the FA, to get ideas off or build around."

All Whites player Chris Wood meets fans and supporters after the match during the New Zealand All Whites v Australia Socceroos. Photo / Getty Images.

According to Wood, the NZF board should be tapping into the expertise of former players, especially those who have achieved in parallel business careers like former captain Ryan Nelsen and All Birds founder Tim Brown.

"We should be going to them, asking for ideas, what is going to improve the All Whites, what is going to improve the Football Ferns? We don't utilise that enough. And as players, we would love a closer relationship with New Zealand Football and the board but we have never been pulling in the same direction."

Wood has ideas to leverage more commercial activity and argues that there are "high rollers" that might want to invest, in the right circumstances.

After a long career, the 30-year-old is focused on changes that can benefit the next generation.

"It might not happen in my time, but I hope it happens for the young guys," says Wood. "I hope there is a better way of doing things, which becomes normal.

"New Zealand Football is a separate entity, and they have to run it how they see best. But there could be a lot more conversations to align the All Whites and New Zealand Football and make things work better together.

"We have some good ideas; they must have some good ideas and it is just about bringing it together. They might not know how much we want to boost the game if we could, with commercial stuff and fan stuff. We just love the sport and want to make the team better."