Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe transformed a struggling side into one qualifying for the Champions League in just 18 months, and one of his former players has revealed how much he enjoyed working under him.
Chris Wood is now flying at Nottingham Forest and fighting for the Champions League there, but he initially arrived at Newcastle in January 2022 having scored just three Premier League goals in 17 appearances for Burnley that season.
There was an added pressure on the New Zealand international, too, with Newcastle having activated his £25m release clause and needing points to climb out of the relegation battle. For Wood, Howe proved the perfect manager to help him enjoy his football more.
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe crucial to Chris Wood's success
"He instilled confidence in me," Wood exclusively tells FourFourTwo. "He was an awesome manager to work with, and I think a lot of players say that after working under him. He’s a very bright man with a very smart footballing brain. It was a pleasure to play under him."
But while Wood struggled for goals at St. James' Park, scoring just five times in 39 games in all competitions before joining Nottingham Forest on loan for the second half of the 2022/23 season, Wood believes the expensive move still worked out for all parties.
"I think it worked – Newcastle needed a striker because Callum Wilson was injured, the opportunity arose and I wanted to test myself outside of my comfort zone," Wood explains. "I was keen to try something, especially with the project Newcastle had.
"I wanted to be part of that; to play under Eddie Howe and be involved in a huge club historically. On the pitch, it worked out well. Staying up was huge. Going from where they were when I arrived – I think it was 11 points – to ending up in the 40s [49 points] was sensational.
"I enjoyed my time up there. It was disappointing that there weren’t more goals, but that’s life. I think that I brought a lot more than just goals, but it would have been nice to have both."
At Nottingham Forest, Wood has had exactly both: 14 Premier League goals last season has already been matched in 2024/25, while European football looks likely next term as Forest sit comfortably third in the top flight.
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