Eddie Howe: I would not have relished facing Chris Wood after Haka initiation | OneFootball

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has jokingly admitted he's relieved he never had to face striker Chris Wood on the pitch, particularly after witnessing his imposing Haka.

Wood, a New Zealand international, performed the traditional Māori challenge as part of his initiation at Newcastle following a £25 million transfer from Burnley in January 2022. The move, designed to bolster Newcastle's fight against relegation, saw Wood join Howe's ranks.

Now, the two will be on opposing sides as Wood returns to St James' Park with Nottingham Forest this Sunday.

Reflecting on Wood's initiation, Howe confessed his apprehension at the thought of facing the striker after the powerful display.

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Eddie Howe (PA Wire)

"I never shied away from a challenge as a player," Howe said, "but probably looking at the level I played at, I’m not sure I would fair too well against Chris."

Howe added: “One of my vivid memories of Chris was him in his initiation moment doing the Haka, a hugely impressive thing. He’s such a big lad and he was fully engaged, fully aggressive and he delivered it to a really high standard.

“Chris is a character, Chris is a strong person and that’s why when he came into the club when we were in a desperate position in the league, he immediately solidified the group.

“You need strong characters in that moment, you need players that have been in that position many times before, but he rolled his sleeves up, he went to work and he can be really proud of his time at the club.

“People too often look at statistics and draw their judgment from just numbers. Chris’ time isn’t defined by that for me, it’s defined by what he did to the group and how he helped us stay in the league.”

Wood, who was signed amid an early spending spree by Newcastle’s new Saudi-backed owners during their first transfer window, scoring five goals in 39 appearances during his 18 months on Tyneside before joining Forest, initially on loan and then completing a £15million permanent switch in June 2023.

He has been a revelation since, scoring 18 Premier League goals to date this season to help drive his club into third place in the table and keep it there.

Howe, who described the frontman’s sale as “a necessity” as he re-shaped his squad, said: “He’s had an incredible season. He’s been outstanding.

“Chris, when he came to us, helped us in a really difficult situation, fighting relegation. We felt we needed a focal point in that position, someone who could take a lot of pressure off us as a team and be a physical presence, and he was outstanding for the team.

“It probably under-estimated how much he affected our style and out-play, and that enabled us to stay in the league.”