Ryan Woods (footballer, born 1993)

Ryan Woods

File:Ryan Woods, Brentford FC, December 2015.jpg Woods playing for Brentford in 2015.
Personal information
Full name	Ryan Michael Woods
Date of birth	(1993-12-13) 13 December 1993
Place of birth	Norton Canes, England
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder, defender
Team information
Current team	Brentford
Number	15
Youth career
0000–2009	Walsall
2009–2012	Shrewsbury Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2015	Shrewsbury Town	91	(1)
2015–	Brentford	41	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:05, 8 May 2016 (UTC)

Ryan Michael Woods (born 13 December 1993) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Brentford. He began his career with Shrewsbury Town and is a product of the club's youth system, going on to play 103 professional games for the team, scoring once. In 2015, after helping Shrewsbury to promotion back to League One, he transferred to Brentford for a fee of £1 million.

Career

Shrewsbury Town

Early years

Born in Norton Canes, Staffordshire, Woods began his career with local club Walsall, but was released at age 15 and moved to Shrewsbury Town, completing a scholarship and signing his first professional contract in May 2012. He received his maiden call into the first team squad for a League One match at home to Carlisle United on 15 December 2012, remaining an unused substitute during the 2–1 win. After six further calls into the squad, Woods made his debut as an 89th-minute substitute for Aaron Wildig in a 1–0 home win over Oldham Athletic on 23 April 2013. 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. He signed a contract extension on 10 June 2013.

Breakthrough

Woods made his first senior start away at Rotherham United on 24 August 2013, playing at right back, owing to a shortage of defenders. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. He scored his first senior goal – and only Shrewsbury goal – in a 3–2 defeat to Milton Keynes Dons on 11 January 2014, netting in the seventh minute of the game at the Stadium mk. 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 Shrews' relegation to League Two. He won two Player of the Year awards for his performances during the campaign, voted for by the Shrewsbury Town Away Travel Club and the Family Stand supporters.

Woods had an excellent 2014–15 season, making 51 appearances and helping Shrewsbury secure automatic promotion back to League One with second-place finish. It was announced after the season that Woods and teammate Connor Goldson had been awarded places in the PFA League Two Team of the Year. Woods was nominated for the League Two Player of the Year at the Football League Awards, but lost out to Danny Mayor of Bury. Woods began the 2015–16 season as an ever-present and following vice-captain Connor Goldson's departure, he captained Shrewsbury for the first time in a 1–1 draw away with Oldham Athletic on 22 August 2015. Woods' final Shrewsbury appearance came on 29 August in a 1–0 defeat to Burton Albion and he departed the New Meadow three days later on transfer deadline day. He made 103 appearances and scored one goal during his three years as a professional with Shrewsbury Town.

Brentford

On 1 September 2015, Woods moved to Championship side Brentford on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be £1 million. He made his debut 11 days later, away to Leeds United, as a 74th-minute substitute for Maxime Colin. Two minutes after coming on, he turned over possession to Mirko Antenucci, who then scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw. After the appointment of interim manager Lee Carsley later that month, Woods became a regular starter. He scored his first Brentford goal with a long-range strike to open a 2–1 win over Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 28 December, assisting Sergi Canós for the winning goal in the second half. On 23 April 2016, he scored from a similar distance in a 4–1 win at Milton Keynes Dons, a result which relegated the opponents. He finished the 2015–16 season with 42 appearances and two goals.

Style of play

Although Woods' favoured position is as a central midfielder (being dubbed 'the ginger Pirlo' by the Shrewsbury Town supporters), he can also play in a variety of positions in defence and midfield. During the 2013–14 season he demonstrated his versatility by also playing right back, on the right hand side of midfield and at left back. In January 2015, Four Four Two named Woods as one of the ten best young players in the Football League. The magazine reported that he demonstrates "an ability to play a range a passes, as well as easily creating space for himself" and quoted Shrewsbury Town manager Micky Mellon as saying “he's the first player on the training pitch and the last off. He's a terrific kid and has some unbelievable ability”.

Personal life

Woods supported Walsall as a youngster.

Career statistics

As of match played 7 May 2016.

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Shrewsbury Town	2012–13	League One	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	2013–14		41	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	43	1
	2014–15	League Two	43	0	3	0	4	0	1	0	51	0
	2015–16	League One	5	0	—		2	0	—		7	0
	Total		91	1	4	0	6	0	2	0	103	1
Brentford	2015–16	Championship	41	2	1	0	—		—		42	2
Career total			132	3	5	0	6	0	2	0	145	3

Honours

As a player

Shrewsbury Town

• League Two second-place promotion: 2014–15

As an individual

• PFA League Two Team of the Year: 2014–15

External links

• Ryan Woods profile at shrewsburytown.com
• Ryan Woods career statistics at Soccerbase
• Ryan Woods profile at brentfordfc.co.uk