Niko Kirwan celebrates his goal with Chris Wood. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Niko Kirwan celebrates his goal with Chris Wood. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Chris Wood hopes to be around for the 2026 FIFA World Cup – should the All Whites make it that far.
The Burnley striker is already the longest serving player in the New Zealand team, having been on the scene since 2009, but has many more international ambitions.
He recentlyconcluded his 13th year with the All Whites, scoring a brace in the 2-0 win over The Gambia earlier this month, and has become the team's most important player, irreplaceable in terms of his goal scoring ability and leadership qualities.
While the immediate focus is on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the prospect of a single leg intercontinental playoff next June for the Oceania winner, Wood wants to be around for the Cup cycle beyond that.
The 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada, is the first in the new 48-team format, with the tantalising prospect of direct qualification for the top team from this region.
Wood maintains a week-by-week focus – given the intense nature of his job – but admits the 2026 global showpiece is an ambition.
"Yeah, I can see myself there," Wood told the Weekend Herald. "I'm hoping I'll be playing football as long as I can, as long as the body can hold up."
"So I can see myself hopefully being there. We've got some good players coming underneath, youngsters coming through, that I have to try and keep fighting off to make sure I'm in that starting line up."
"But I am backing my confidence and my ability to still be there at that stage."
Along with 60 All Whites games (27 goals), Wood has also spent a staggering 13 seasons in the English game, since he came into the system at West Bromwich Albion in 2008.
He has accumulated more than 400 professional matches, with 159 for Burnley, long stints at Leeds (88 games) and Leicester (62) along with numerous other clubs.
But Wood, who turns 30 next month, has avoided serious injuries and coped well with the physical demands and combative nature of English football.
"Recovery gets more difficult," admits Wood. "You have to do the right things to recover properly for games. When I was 19 I could just play a game, roll out of bed the next day and just play again."
"At 29 years old you can't do that anymore, you actually have to get the full recovery right. The nutrition right. The hydration right. The pool sessions, the massages, the normal checks, everything has to be right to give you that chance to be able to turn up to two or three days later to play another 90 minutes."
The recipe has worked, as Wood appears to be coming into his prime. Last Sunday he scored his 50th Premier League goal, a remarkable milestone for a New Zealander.
Chris Wood (C) of the New Zealand All Whites reacts with team mates after scoring his second goal during their international friendly match against The Gambia. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
"I'm extremely proud of what I've been able to achieve in the Premier League," says Wood. "My first goal in the Premier League was huge for me and the 50th will mean a huge amount to me."
"It's not gonna stop there. I want to achieve a lot more. I've always had aspirations to achieve a lot in the Premier League and it's about me working hard to get there."
"So it'll be a nice tick off moment and I'll celebrate it with friends and loved ones, and then I'll kick on, ready to go again and hit some more milestones."
On a national level, Wood's longevity has been remarkable. Among the current group he is one of only three players that went to the 2010 FIFA World Cup (along with Winston Reid and Tommy Smith), while only a handful remain from the squad that faced Mexico in the 2013 Intercontinental playoffs.
"I always love playing for New Zealand," said Wood. "I know it's a short career so I'm making the most of every opportunity I can to pull on this white jersey because I know when I look back it will mean so much to me."
