All Whites v Fiji (World Cup qualifier)
Kick-off: 7pm Friday 21 March
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Chris Wood's heart will forever be in New Zealand, and that may result in him returning home to play club football here.
The 33-year-old is in Wellington preparing for the Oceania World Cup qualifying finals, with a spot at the 2026 tournament in North America up for grabs.
Woods has played a leading role in helping Nottingham Forest to third place in the Premier League standings, and his 18 goals has him fourth in the Golden Boot behind the likes of Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Erling Haaland of Manchester City.
He's been playing in Britain since 2009, in recent times for Leicester, Leeds, Burnley, Newcastle and now Forest, but the Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC are on his radar.
While he is a star in Britain, his efforts this season have certainly broadened the fan base in New Zealand - and he's aware of that.
"I don't get to connect with the fans back here as much as I would want to, but I know that I have a high responsibility to the next generation which is looking at me and knowing that there is a dream and capabilities of being in the best leagues in the world," Wood told RNZ.
"Just like when I was younger and looked at Ryan [Nelsen] playing in this league."
Wood was asked if he could see himself coming home and playing for either of New Zealand's A-League clubs.
"Yes I actually do, I believe there might be an opportunity one day to come back here and play. Both teams are high on my radar if I do come back.
"I love New Zealand as a whole, so yes, that is something I can look to in the future - but I've got a lot more I want to achieve in Europe before coming back."
Photo: AFP / NurPhoto/ MI News
Wood was contracted to Nottingham Forest until 2027. Before any of that, Wood had a big assignment this weekend with World Cup qualification on the line.
New Zealand play Fiji in the Oceania qualifying semi-final in Wellington on Friday night, with Tahiti playing New Caledonia in the other. The winner of the final then earns a spot at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
It would be a second trip to a World Cup for Wood. At 18, Wood was the youngest member of the 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa, coming on as a substitute in all three pool games that were drawn.
Previously the winner in Oceania had to then play an intercontinental game against a nation from the Americas or Asia. The path is easier now.
"We know we're the favourites to progress, but we've got two extremely hard games in front of us, but we believe we have the capability of progressing.
"It's not often that us as a national team are favourites and can play like favourites, so we have to take that challenge on."
Wood has played 80 times for New Zealand, the most experienced member of a team that contained a lot of younger players.
"It's a very exciting team , we've got a lot of players from different parts of the world.
"This team is probably one of the best ones that [we've had] in history, but they have to prove that on the pitch to class themselves as one of those. Making a World Cup is the way to do that."
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