Manchester United: injuries and loans Having joined the club aged eight, Wood began his career as a trainee with
Manchester United in 1999, and turned professional the following year. He was a member of the
reserve team and scored on his debut, playing as a striker alongside
David Healy under the tutelage of
Jimmy Ryan. Around this time he also played for the
England U16 team, scoring two goals on his debut in the
Victory Shield. and to
Peterborough United of the
Football League Second Division on a one-month loan in September 2003, rejecting a move to
Third Division team
Swansea City in the process; neither loan proved to be successful for Wood. In January 2004, he was loaned out to
First Division team
Burnley, who were struggling in the
season, manager
Stan Ternent expressed his gratitude to United manager
Alex Ferguson for allowing Wood to remain with the club. During his time at Burnley, he scored once against
Norwich City in a 5–3 defeat, opening the scoring at
Turf Moor with a free-kick from just outside the
penalty area. In April, he admitted to the
Lancashire Telegraph that he had struggled to adapt to the style of football in the lower leagues, but played through a knee injury to try and keep Burnley in the division.
Coventry City, Blackpool and Oldham Athletic Wood departed United in the summer of 2004 after 13 years at the club, signing for
Coventry City on a two-year contract. Upon signing, manager
Peter Reid told the
Coventry Telegraph that Wood reminded him of former
Everton teammate
Kevin Sheedy, also a left-footed midfielder. He made his début in a 4–1
League Cup first round win against
Torquay United, but appearances at his new club were rare, and he struggled to avoid picking up injuries and maintaining his fitness. Having made just five appearances in the
2005–06 season, Wood departed the club initially on loan to
Blackpool in January 2006, and in the same month the move was made permanent on a contract until the end of the season. Wood received a red card for a dangerous tackle on
Gavin Strachan in a fixture against
Hartlepool United on 28 January. Later in the same year, he again moved club, signing a two-year contract with
Oldham Athletic following a successful trial period. Upon signing, he criticised Blackpool for offering him a new deal only after pre-season had begun, as well as saying their contract offer was "rubbish". After several appearances, Wood suffered a season-ending knee injury in training, requiring surgery on his
anterior cruciate ligament. The injury led to his release from the team. Remembering his experience of lower league football in a 2019 interview with
The Athletic, he said that he struggled to adapt and was "sick of the style of player. I wanted to get out",
Željezničar, departure and retirement In February 2008, Wood signed with
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina club
Željezničar, where he was managed by
Simo Krunić, and experienced tactics-based football for the first time since departing United. requiring a double
hernia operation. After several attempts made to contact Željezničar failed, in January 2010 Wood and the club turned to
FIFA for assistance with the matter. In November of that year and having made his debut, Wood scored an equalising goal in a 1–1 draw against
Rugby Town. ==Management career==