Chris Wood has been labeled by his former manager Eddie Howe as ‘Oustanding’ while the Nottingham Forest target machine is preparing for Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
Wood, 33, was signed by Howe to keep Newcastle in 2022, but only scored four Premier League goals in two seasons before he was allowed to move to Forest.
However, he flourished in the East Midlands and already scored 18 times this season to push Forest to third place.
Two of the highest score in #FPL This season 💪
Alexander Isak and Chris Wood meet each other in Gameweek 26 – but who supports you for the biggest return? 👀 pic.twitter.com/z3la4iusgx
– Fantasy Premier League (@officialfpl) February 19, 2025
Howe said: ‘I think he has been excellent. Chris, when he came to us, helped us in a very difficult situation to combat relegation.
“We thought we need a central point in that position. Someone who could take a lot of pressure from us as a team and could give us physical presence. I thought he did all those things and was excellent for the team.
“I probably underestimated how much he has influenced our style and playing. Then with Alex’s [Isak] Return to fitness and callums [Wilson] Return, he went on.
“I am very happy that he is on a personal level because he is a great character, given everything for us.”
Newcastle has lost three of their last four games, but are only three points of the top four that will enter the weekend.
Howe wants to see a reaction of the disappointing defeat in Manchester City last weekend.
He said: “There are no certainties in football that I can without a doubt say. But I think there is a concept that we have not performed.
“There is a concept of what we have not done well enough. We certainly treated that with the players and we expect a big reaction. “
