Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood could face his former employers Leeds United when they visit the City Ground for their top-flight season opener on Saturday.
The Kiwi marksman enjoyed a productive two-year stint at Elland Road, with no other Leeds attacker reaching the 30-goal milestone since his achievement in the 2016/17 campaign. He departed before the subsequent season had properly begun, with a potential £18million deal to Burnley being completed.
Prior to his switch to Turf Moor, Wood faced criticism for allegedly declining to feature in a league encounter with Sunderland. Two months after the controversy, he clarified the situation.
Speaking to The Independent in October 2017, Wood explained that Burnley’s proposal contained a condition preventing him from appearing against Sunderland. Despite widespread assumption that he had refused to play, he insisted the decision was not his to make.
The offer arrived at 3pm on the Friday and received approval by 5pm that same day, leaving the player with no control over his participation. Burnley had deliberately removed that option to avoid potential complications.
In that same conversation, Wood discussed his communications with Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani. Although his scoring record was impressive, the team narrowly missed out on a play-off place. Wood had made clear his desire to pursue another opportunity in the top flight following brief previous Premier League outings with West Brom and Leicester.
Radrizzani apparently assured him throughout negotiations that a compromise could be reached if he wished to depart, acknowledging it represented an attractive chance for his career progression.
Wood adapted swiftly to life at Turf Moor, finding the net 12 times across all competitions during his inaugural campaign. One of those strikes came against Leeds in the Carabao Cup’s third round, though Christiansen’s side progressed through a penalty shootout.
The departure paved the way for Roofe to become the club’s main striker, matching double figures in league goals across two consecutive seasons. Only after Bamford’s arrival in 2019 did Leeds finally secure promotion back to the top division.
Approaching his 35th birthday in December, Wood has continued demonstrating his abilities as a top-flight forward. He has reached double figures in Premier League scoring on six occasions since departing Elland Road, including a remarkable 20 goals for Forest during the 2024/25 season that propelled them toward European qualification.
The experienced marksman endured an injury-plagued campaign as Forest cycled through four different managers while fighting to avoid relegation. Nevertheless, he converted from the spot during a pre-season friendly victory over Brest before his side hosted Leeds at the weekend.