Football Fever with Newstalk z MB's voice of football Jason Kaine and Money Jansen. Hi Piney here, welcome to a special bonus episode of Football Fever. Today I caught up with All White striker and skipper Chris Wood as his side prepares for the semi final qualifier for the twenty twenty six Feet of World Cup against Fiji in Wellington on Friday night. Chris Wood, Welcome back to New Zealand.
Welcome back to the scene of fifteen and a half years ago, a game against bah Rain when in the eighty third minute you were seeing time to help secure a one nil win. What do you remember most vividly about that night.
I'm probably the final whistle, when the excitement and everything went, run the stadium, run the team and yeah, knowing that we completed something that was truly historical in New Zealand history.
Could you ever have imagined that, you know that would be the springboard for you to go on to achieve what you have as a professional footballer.
No, looking back, obviously, I'm very proud of what I've been able to achieve throughout my career. It was a great start in my career, been able to go to a World Cup so early on, and hopefully now the old age I can go again then if we're lucky enough.
So you mentioned the World Cup in twenty ten games against Slovakia, Italy, Paraguay, you came on in all three. Do you ever think back to that shot against Italy that just defeated the post? Look?
Yeah, it pops into the memories every so often. It would have been nice if it trickled on the other side, but it wasn't meant to be. I think the team done extremely well that year and obviously three jaws unbeatenside in the World Cup. It's a pretty proud moment.
How determined are you to get back there sixteen years on?
Very determined. It's been under no illusion. I spoke about this a long, a old period times in the other qualifying campaigns that I want to get back there. It feels like this team and myself have unfinished business on the world stage, and that's what we want to do.
It's a very different qualification path now, of course, two games won against vegi here and then potentially a final on Monday night. How do you make sure that you just go one game at a time and leave nothing to chance.
Well, that's all we've got to do. It's what we're focusing on more week. We're focusing on Fiji, and that's all we can do because you can't think too far ahead. We're going to have a very tough game here and we need to make sure we're on our a game to come out on top. They're going to cause us problems, but we need to make sure we play our game to hopefully nullify everything else.
So the team I think are all together now. I think the last players arrived last night. How do you spend the next forty eight hours as you prepare for the game against Fiji?
A lot about it is connecting off the pitch, getting back to what were used to and then adding a few implements and training this afternoon tomorrow that we can find tune ready for Friday night.
You've always answered the All Whites call. You know, you could easily have pulled a mystery hamstring on occasion and not come. You've always come, whether it's a World Cup qualifier or a friendly in some far flung part of the world. What is behind your deep desire to always play for the All Whites?
The weather, of course, the reason I'm back here.
No.
I love pulling on the shirt. I love being around these boys. It's home and even when we're not playing at home, when I go away with this team, it feels like home because you're around the same characters, the same culture that I grew up with, and it's just a pleasure to be around this group.
Premier League season. Can we just talked briefly about that Nottingham Forest having a wonderful season. As are you at the start of the season. Did it feel like something like this was in the offering?
I don't think anybody can say that we would have been where we are, but we did have high hopes of being top ten or aiming to top ten, and that's where our goals were at the start of the season, and hopefully we'll have been able to achieve that. And now it's looking on and beyond and seeing where we can get to.
What have been the keys to Nottingham Forest's success this season.
Camaraderie, consistency, a team sticking together. I think the work we do off the pitch is what brings it on the pitch, fighting for each other, and I think that's shown over course of the season. While we've stuck together so well and while we were at where we are.
In eighteen goals for you, you best ever return on a Premier League season more to come, and you've talked often about how a lot of it is down to your teammates. Is this the team in which you have been given the best service do you think across your elite football career.
I think it's up there, definitely. I think it's a team that creates a number of chances and things like that, which obviously aids in my strengths. I'm a player that strives on delivery and service, so I definitely can't do it without my teammates around me. So I've got a fantastic team both here and in Nottingham that's supply me with chances and it's about me trying to stick them away.
Eighty seven Premier League goals all up now. Mark Faduka best Australasian is on ninety one. I'm not sure whether you are numbers driven or not, but you were you aware of that stat?
Hey? Yes, I do know the number very well. It is one i'd like to take off if I can this season. That is a driving aspect, so yeah, if I can get to ninety two this season, I'll be very happy.
Speaking of numbers, and just back to New Zealand, you are only eight short of Ivan Viscilitt, one of your teammates in twenty ten in terms of overall caps for New Zealand. Again, is that something in your sights? And maybe on towards the one hundred after that?
Yeah, I stide a set firmly pass I's number, but hopefully I can get there sooner rather than later if there's no messaps or anything like that. So yeah, I'm looking to the future differently.
And the only New Zealander to score more goals for this country than you is Amber Herne. She has fifty three from memory forty one. Again, is that something you'd like to like to perhaps surpass in the time you have left in the all night hell?
Look, I want to try and get close at least I want to get to the fifty mark. So that's a goal of my horizon. If I can get to fifty three and be joined or or get surpassed, that will be down to fate in future, so we'll see where we go.
Just to finish, been able to talk over the last couple of days and some of the media you've done about a return home. The weather isn't always like this in Wellington, but could I pitch for Wellington Phoenix there on a good day? This place is very nice.
Look the Wellington boys have told me that it's not always like this, so yeah, I mean, I'm open to both clubs. That's why we've got two professional clubs in New Zealand's if the time comes and it arrives that I might be able to come back to New Zealand. It was definitely something I'll think hard about.
And very finally, you're going to be a dad soon. How excited are you about that?
Very excited? I mean myself and my wife are very much looking forward to it. She's in the latter stage now, so she's just holding strong, holding down the fall back home until I get back.
Wonderful exciting times on the pitch. And offer Chris congratulations on everything you've achieved so far the season with Nottingham Forest. All the best for these two games to come.
Appreciate it. Thank you.