Wood feeling the appreciation of Forest boss Nuno

Chris Wood says he is thriving at Nottingham Forest because he feels the appreciation from boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

The New Zealand striker, 32, has been the surprise story of the Premier League season, scoring eight goals in 12 top-flight games – a tally surpassed only by Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.

Since taking over at Forest Wood, Nuno has scored 19 goals in 28 Premier League games and that's because he has found a manager who knows how to get the best out of him.

In an interview with BBC Sport, he said: “You have to find where you are valued. Managers have their own style and how they want to play games.

“That's not something I have control over. It just means you might not be in the right place or not to the manager's liking. There is always a manager who likes a number nine, or a fake nine.”

“I'm not a guy who's going to beat two or three players and get stuck in the top corner. I'm a guy who relies on service. If they can't deliver to me, I can't score.”

“It's about finding the role that suits everyone, and fortunately that is the case under Nuno.

“The six or seven loans I had as a youngster taught me a lot about being appreciated. It's not always about you as a person or a player, it's about how you connect and build a team. A lot of that is outside of you team.” control.”

A new week. Regroup and go again. pic.twitter.com/Y3HQU31lPf

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) November 25, 2024

Wood has now also credited Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth with helpful advice when he was technical director at West Brom, one of 11 English clubs Wood represented before landing in 12th place with Forest.

He added: “It's about making the other side as small as possible to bounce back up and make a new mountain.

“The mentality is huge in sport and in football, if you can control that side of the game it helps.

“You go through these mountains and waves all season long. It's not just a matter of shooting up. That's what I was told by [former technical director] Then Ashworth when I was at West Brom. Things won't always go smoothly.

“There will be those waves and you have to ride them and hope that the downside is as small as possible to maximize the benefits.”