Gary Neville praises Wood who had ‘big impact’ v Villa

Newcastle United signing Chris Wood was met with a mixed reaction from supporters. Some applauded the club for bringing in a much-needed target man while others criticised the lofty asking price for an out-of-form striker.

Gary Neville isn’t one of the nay-sayers, however, and was full of praise for the 30-year-old after his performance in Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

He said on the Gary Neville Podcast: “I like the signing of Wood. He had a big impact on the game. The little flick-ons that he wins in the last 10 minutes that just keep the ball alive in that corner means it’s not coming back at you all the time.”

Wood made 21 appearances in all competitions for Burnley this season before joining Newcastle in January, scoring three goals. He wasn’t prolific in the Premier League but won 93/183 aerial duels which could prove invaluable.

Neville added: “That fixed presence – I don’t think Newcastle have had that for a few years – where they’ve got somebody to play up to. Yes, he’s not going to score a great amount of goals, but it’s not his job in the team.”

The New Zealand international hadn’t been at his best prior to joining the Magpies, but he hit double figures for league goals in each of the last six seasons with Burnley (2017-2022) and Leeds (2015-2017).

Newcastle have turned things around in recent weeks too, winning three and drawing two of their last five league games, so things couldn’t be going better for Wood and co.

Next up for the Magpies is a trip to face West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.

In other news, Paul Merson says Kieran Trippier has been a ‘fantastic addition’ for Newcastle