Nottingham Forest fan on Kiwi 'talisman' Chris Wood

Kiwi footballer Chris Wood has become a cult hero among Nottingham Forest fans, who have labelled him a “talisman” in the club’s dream campaign this Premier League season.

The striker has netted 17 goals for the English club this season, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down, scoring a hat-trick in the team’s 7-0 thrashing of Brighton & Hove Albion last week.

The 33-year-old's contract with the club has been extended until 2027.

The club, who only returned to the Premier League in 2022, have had a dream first half of the season, rising to third in the league at the time of writing.

According to Forest fans, Wood has been a surprising but significant contributor to the team’s excellent form this season, becoming “universally liked” among fans.

“He's the man. He's our number nine, he's our target man, our talisman, our goal scorer, and there's no competition for that shirt. It's his for the rest of the season,” Michael Temple, co-host of the Nottingham Forest fan podcast ForestFocus, told 1News.

From the 2010 World Cup to his at-the-time career-defining run at Burnley, Wood has always been a star to Kiwi football fans, but has perhaps not got wider recognition beyond the clubs he played for.

“He's silently gone about his business in the Premier League for a long time now without ever really catching fire outside of his club,” Temple said.

“To my experience now of having watched him for a season and a half at Forest, you realise there's so much more to Chris Wood’s game than the highlights show you. He's willing to work so hard on and off the ball.”

He said the debate about Wood’s quality had been “put to bed this season”.

Temple said Wood had become a hero in Nottingham, and shirts bearing his name and number were a regular sight around the East Midlands town.

“Everybody loves a goal scorer,” he said.

This season's form of Forest and Wood came as a surprise to fans, who hadn’t experienced results like these since the team’s legendary back-to-back wins of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup (now known as the Champions League) in 1979 and 1980.

Temple said that when Wood first arrived in Nottingham from Newcastle, he was perceived as an “underwhelming” signing and was seen as more of a backup to Nigerian Taiwo Awoniyi, who was “very much the A-side”.

He was now “universally respected” by Forest fans.

“He's one of the players on this side that deserves European football and deserves to be in this team next year because Forest hasn't had a goal scorer of this type, an out-and-out number nine for a long time.

“Doing it in the Premier League so consistently, it's just a testament to how hard he works and how talented he is,” Temple said.

Temple said a big thing Wood had brought to the club was global recognition from football fans both in and outside New Zealand.

“It's great to hear that Forest is becoming a global club. The big question is, can we finish the top five and secure a Champions League spot? If we're going to do that, Chris is going to be a big part of it and he has a huge role to play between now the end of the season, everyone's behind him.

“It's good to hear that the Kiwis are too. I just hope that everyone in your country is keeping an eye on him.”

He hoped Wood’s rise had boosted the prominence of football in New Zealand and the contingent of Kiwi Forest supporters.

“We've seen star players emerge in various sports that have just done so much for that sport in that country, and I hope that's what Chris Wood is doing in New Zealand, and I hope by extension that New Zealand football fans are developing a bit of an affinity for Nottingham Forest.”

The Kiwi connection at City Ground is growing. Twenty-year-old Tyler Bindon has signed with the club from League One side Reading. He joins Wood and All White Marko Stamenic, who is currently on loan with Olympiacos, who are both owned by Evangelos Marinakis. Bindon will stay at Reading on loan until the end of this season.

Bindon has high expectations from fans, who hope to see him promoted to the first team when he’s ready.

“He's seen as the most complete defender for his age in in League One. He's in a promotion campaign now and could well find himself promotion to the Championship with Reading next season,” Temple said about Bindon’s signing.

“But he’s one for the future and one that the Forest football department rates extremely highly and thinks has the potential."

Forest's next match is against Exeter City in the FA Cup on Wednesday, followed by a league clash with Fulham next Sunday.