Chris Wood praises 'character' of Newcastle team-mates after long awaited first goal

Chris Wood says that Newcastle United's hard-fought victory over Southampton was a sign of the "character" in the Toon dressing room. The Magpies stretched their unbeaten run to nine matches in the Premier League and Wood grabbed his first goal for the club at St Mary's.

Wood said: "It was a very tough, hard-fought win. They’re a very good side, especially on their home patch. That’s what we’re trying to instil in this team. The win shows the character in the dressing room. It’s fantastic for the lads. They’ve worked hard and deserve it."

When asked what was the key behind Newcastle's form and turnaround in 2022, Wood said: "It’s taken hard work on the training ground, hard work in games. We’re still in a battle, we still need to keep pushing up the table and make ourselves mathematically safe as soon as possible."

When asked about his headed goal, which came courtesy of Jonjo Shelvey's cross, Wood added: "It’s nice to be off the mark now and hopefully get more goals in the rest of the season. Jonjo Shelvey's ball made it easy for me to score."