Ryan Woods (footballer, born 1993)

Ryan Woods
Personal information
Full nameRyan Michael Woods[1][2]
Date of birth13 December 1993[2]
Place of birthNorton Canes, England[3]
Height5 ft 8 in (173cm) [3]
Playing positionMidfielder, Utility
Club information
Current team
Shrewsbury Town
Number4
Youth career
Shrewsbury Town
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2012–Shrewsbury Town85(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 April 2015, 12:46 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Ryan Michael Woods (born 13 December 1993) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Shrewsbury Town.

Career

Shrewsbury Town

Born in Norton Canes, Staffordshire, Woods rose through the youth ranks at Shrewsbury Town, and signed his first professional contract for the club at the start of the 2012–13 season.[3] He made his first team debut as an 89th-minute substitute for Aaron Wildig in a 1–0 home win in a League One fixture against Oldham Athletic on 23 April 2013.[4] Four days later he played his only other game of the season, again replacing Wildig for the last six minutes of a 3–2 win against Portsmouth at the New Meadow.[5] He signed a contract extension on 10 June.[6]

Woods made his first professional start away at Rotherham United on 24 August 2013, playing at right back owing to a shortage of defenders. The game ended in a 2–2 draw.[7][8] He scored his first senior goal in a 3–2 defeat at Milton Keynes on 11 January 2014, netting in the seventh minute of the game.[9]

Having established himself in the first team, making 43 appearances in all competitions in 2013–14, it was announced on 13 May 2014 that Woods had triggered a clause in his contract to extend his stay at the club for at least another season, despite the clubs relegation to League Two.[10] With Woods now a first team regular, manager Micky Mellon insisted he would not be sold in the January 2015 transfer window, as Shrewsbury challenged for an immediate return to League One.[11]

On 15 April, Woods was nominated for the League Two Player of the Year at the Football League Awards, alongside Alfie Mawson of Wycombe Wanderers and Danny Mayor of Bury.[12] Mayor was given the award on 19 April.[13]

After helping Shrewsbury secure promotion back to League One with a 1–0 away victory over Cheltenham Town on 25 April, it was announced the following day that Woods had been awarded a place on the PFA League Two Team of the Year for 2014–15, along with teammate Connor Goldson.[14]

Style of play

Although Woods favoured position is as a central midfielder, he can also play in a variety of positions in defence and midfield.[15] During the 2013–14 season he demonstrated his versatility by also playing right back, on the right hand side of midfield,[16] and at left back.[17]

The following season in League Two, Woods found increased opportunities to play in the centre midfield, and was praised for his "fantastic form" and "accurate passing and ability to find space" by the Shropshire Star newspaper, with supporters dubbing him "the ginger Pirlo".[18]

In January 2015, Four Four Two magazine named Woods as one of the ten best young players in the Football League. They said that his ability is in "demonstrating an ability to play a range a passes as well as easily creating space for himself" and quoted Mellon saying “He's the first player on the training pitch and the last off. He's a terrific kid and has some unbelievable ability.”[19]

Career statistics

As of 26 April 2015.
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Shrewsbury Town 2012–13[20] League One 2000000020
2013–14[21] League One 41110001[lower-alpha 1]0431
2014–15[22] League Two 42030401[lower-alpha 2]0500
Career total 851404020951
  1. ↑ Appearance in Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ Appearance in Football League Trophy

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Mumby, Chris (5 January 2013). "Shrews Squad Statistics". The Iron Official Matchday Magazine of Scunthorpe United FC 15: 43.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Ryan Woods". Soccerbase. Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Player Profile Ryan Woods". Shrewsbury Town FC. Shrewsbury Town FC. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "BBC Sport Shrewsbury 1–0 Oldham". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  5. ↑ "Shrewsbury 3-2 Portsmouth". BBC Sport. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Woods Signs". Shrewsweb. Shrewsbury Town FC. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "BBC Sport Rotherham v Shrewsbury". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  8. ↑ Martin Wild. "Town 2 Rotherham 2". Shrewsweb. Shrewsweb. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "Milton Keynes Dons 3-2 Shrewsbury Town". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  10. ↑ "Ryan Woods extends contract". Shrewsweb. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  11. ↑ "Shrewsbury insist Ryan Woods is not for sale". Shropshire Star. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Sky Bet League 2 Player of the Year shortlist announced for The Football League Awards 2015". The Football League. 19 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Kevin Phillips: Ex-England striker wins Football League award". BBC Sport. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Six Chelsea players named in PFA's Premier League team of the year". The Guardian. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  15. ↑ "Jacobson out for three weeks". Shrewsweb. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  16. ↑ Shrewsweb. "Match Report Bradford 2 Shrewsbury 1". Shrewsweb. Shrewsweb. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  17. ↑ Shrewsweb. "Town 2 Sheffield United 0". Shrewsweb. Shrewsweb. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  18. ↑ "Ryan Woods relishing role reversals at Town". Shropshire Star. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  19. ↑ Fielden, James (2 January 2015). "Top 10: Football League stars of tomorrow – the kids on Premier League radars". Four Four Two. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  20. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Woods in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  21. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Woods in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  22. ↑ "Games played by Ryan Woods in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 July 2014.

External links