HE might have taken his career to a whole new level since joining Nottingham Forest, but Eddie Howe will always be grateful to Chris Wood for the role he played in helping Newcastle United avoid relegation during his time on Tyneside.

Wood returns to St James’ Park tomorrow afternoon as one of the most prolific strikers in the country after scoring 18 Premier League goals so far this season.

The New Zealander’s goalscoring statistics were not quite as impressive during his time in black-and-white – he scored five goals in 39 appearances in all competitions as a Newcastle player – but his impact following his move from Burnley in January 2022 was nevertheless significant.

Newcastle were deep in relegation trouble when Wood was signed during Howe’s first transfer window as Magpies head coach, and his performances were a key factor in the club eventually finishing the 2021-22 season in 11th position.

“When Chris came to us, he helped us in a really difficult situation,” said Howe. “Fighting relegation, we felt we needed a focal point in that position, someone who could take a lot of pressure off us as a team and be a physical presence, and I thought he was outstanding for the team.

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“It was probably underestimated how much he affected our style and our play, and that enabled us to stay in the league. He was an ever-present and did really well.

“Then, with Callum’s (Wilson) return to fitness and Alex’s (Isak) arrival, he ended up moving on. I’m delighted for him on a personal level because he’s a great character and he gave everything for us.”

Howe was always confident Wood would go on to score goals for Forest, although when he left in January 2023, initially on loan, it was hard to envisage just how prolific the 33-year-old would become.

“I never doubted Chris’ ability,” said Howe. “His general performance for us was always very strong, but it is the variety of goals he has scored (for Forest) that has been so impressive. He’s scored a different array of goals, which is making him such a difficult player to mark. Our defenders will have to play very well against him this weekend.”