Chris Wood plays down his hattrick heroics as he praises Nottingham Forest’s team effort in 3-1 Newcastle win… DESPITE becoming the first player since 2017 to complete the feat on Boxing Day
- The forward joins an illustrious club that also includes Harry Kane and Thierry Henry
- But Wood insisted the win was deserved due to 'outstanding' team play
- Nuno Espirito Santo wasn't the manager Spurs thought they would get… he needs to revive his Wolves success to win over Forest fans – It all starts
Chris Wood has praised Nottingham Forest's ability to play 'extremely well' after securing a 3-1 win against Newcastle on Tuesday afternoon.
The victory is only Forest's second in 14, but incoming manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be hoping his first victory at the helm of the club will revolutionize their lackluster season to date.
Eddie Howe's side were unable to hold on to the lead they had gained through an early penalty from Alexander Isaak, thanks in large part to the heroic efforts of former Magpie Wood.
The 32-year-old has become the first Premier League player to score a hat-trick on Boxing Day since Harry Kane's spell for Tottenham in 2017, and the achievement sees him join an elite club that includes greats such as Thierry Henry and Gareth Bale.
However, after the final whistle, Wood praised the importance of the team effort in sealing the result.
Chris Wood completed his Premier League hat-trick to applaud the team's efforts in victory
The attacker scored three times to see off the beleaguered home team at St James' Park
“It's fantastic, what we deserved, we played extremely well today,” Wood said.
“The boys were on fire and it's nice to get that winning feeling back, it's been a long time.”
Although he found the Amazon Prime interviewer's assessment that his second goal was not a 'traditional Chris Wood goal' 'a bit harsh', the striker agreed that he was 'just happy to keep them away'.
“That's my job as a forward and what I want to continue to do,” Wood added.
But the player insisted his hat-trick was a collective victory for the side, and not an individual achievement, as he stressed the importance of pressing on with a win that is finally within reach.
“It's nice to score goals and get three points,” Wood reiterated. 'It's about continuing to do it and scoring goals for the whole team.
“But the team was fantastic and they put it on a plate for me – especially the first goal – so I couldn't do it without the boys.”
Under incoming manager Nuno Espirito Santo, the visitors recorded their first victory
However, Newcastle continues to endure an extremely patchy winter due to injury concerns
The win will move Forest – at least temporarily – into 16th place as they overtake Everton by one point.
The visitors will next face Manchester United at home to the City Ground, their rivals' first match since the completion of their part-time takeover by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.