Kiwi striker realistic about EPL goals target
All Whites star Chris Wood says he’s hungry to get more goals in this season’s English Premier League, but has warned the 20-goal target may not be realistic.
Wood netted 14 times last season – a record haul by a Burnley striker at premier league level – and now has 35 goals in 104 EPL games for the Lancashire club, which finished 10th in the 2019-20 campaign.
The 28-year-old told reporters it would be ‘‘lovely’’ to better that total this year, but has tempered expectations with a dose of reality.
‘‘I always strive to do the best I can and improve on everything so it would
be good, but, if not, I’ll continue working hard for everybody else,’’ Wood told the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times.
‘‘I think I’ve continued to improve every year, which has been nice. Hopefully I can continue to do that in the years to come.’’
Wood said scoring 14 EPL goals was ‘‘unbelievable, especially for a club like us and how we play.’’
But he warned: ‘‘To get 20 goals in a season is going to be very difficult.
‘‘I think you only see the top players from the top teams getting that because they have the chances.’’
Wood told TVNZ’s One News in August it would be ‘‘extremely hard’’ to break the 20-goal barrier, and quipped if he did ‘‘I’ll need a statue back home’’.
Wood told the Clitheroe newspaper that Southampton’s former Burnley striker Danny Ings ‘‘did absolutely fantastic’’ to score 22 goals last year, but ‘‘it’s not as realistic as when you’re at other clubs’’. ‘‘Ultimately, it’s about the team and then hopefully the goals follow with it. It’s all about hard work and having a good squad around you, which I do.’’
Wood is set to lead Burnley’s line against his former club Leicester City on Sunday (Monday NZ time).
The Kiwi marksman scored twice against Leicester last season, and will relish going head-to-head with City’s Golden Boot winner, former England striker Jamie Vardy, who topped the charts with 23 goals last year.
Wood believes Burnley have four good EPL strikers with one-cap England international Jay Rodriguez, Ashley Barnes and Czech Republic Matej Vydra also vying for starting berths.