New contract at West Ham for ex-keeper Woods
It’s 18 years since Chris Woods arrived at Burnley. The former Nottingham Forest, QPR, Norwich, Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and England goalkeeper arrived as the club’s first ever goalkeeping coach whilst also acting as cover for Marlon Beresford.
A year ago, he joined West Ham as part of Slaven Bilic’s backroom team on a one year deal as goalkeeping coach, and yesterday that was extended by a further two years after impressing his new manager last season.
After signing the deal, Woods said: “It’s been brilliant to be involved with the club in the final ever season at the Boleyn Ground. This is an exciting time moving forward and it is great for me to be part of that. Slaven has made me feel so welcome and he has been fantastic to work with since the day I arrived.
“I have really enjoyed coaching Adrian, Darren (Randolph) and the other young goalkeepers and they have been different class to work with on a daily basis. They learn from each other and hopefully my experience as well. We are a close knit group and you need that bond and relationship if you are going to be successful.”
In his one season at Turf Moor, Woods ended it as first choice goalkeeper after Beresford was sold on the eve of a game at Walsall. He played the last twelve league games of the season in which we won 18 points.
His performances as a player, let alone his value as a coach, prompted the club to offer him a new deal even though Chris Waddle, who brought him to Turf Moor, had been replaced by Stan Ternent. But that changed quickly and the offer was suddenly withdrawn by Ternent who said: “He had been offered a contract but we sat down and talked about it and he has now been released.”
Woods quickly moved to Everton to join new manager Walter Smith for whom he had played at Rangers, and remained at Goodison Park for fifteen years, eventually moving to Manchester United with David Moyes in the summer of 2013. Even when Moyes left he was retained, that was until the end of the season when he followed the rest of Moyes’ team out of Old Trafford.
Thirteen months later he joined West Ham and now the 56-year-old Woods is looking forward to two more years with the Hammers.
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