Chris Woods

Nottingham Forest

When 17 years old, Woods joined Nottingham Forest as an apprentice in 1976, initially as back-up for John Middleton, then Peter Shilton. With Shilton cup-tied for the 1977–78 Football League Cup, having already played for Stoke City in that season's competition, Woods played every match as Forest reached the final, where they beat Liverpool in a replay, Woods keeping two clean sheets in the process. Shilton remained the club's first choice goalkeeper, and the 1977–78 League Cup games proved to be Woods' only senior appearances for the club as they went on to win the Football League, League Cup again, and European Cup.

Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers paid £250,000 for 19-year-old Woods in July 1979. As first choice at QPR, Woods made his Football League debut, playing 63 league games over the next two seasons.

Norwich City

In March 1981 Norwich signed him for £225,000. In 1985 Woods won his second League Cup final, beating Sunderland 1–0 at Wembley. Norwich were relegated at the end of that season. England coach Bobby Robson took Woods on a post-season tour of America. Woods won a second division championship medal the year after. In 2002, he was voted into the club's Hall of Fame.

Rangers

Graeme Souness signed Woods for Rangers in the summer of 1986 for £600,000. He was part of an influx of English talent brought in by Souness, which also included Terry Butcher and Graham Roberts. Woods won a Scottish Premier…

In the England squad Woods was once again Shilton's back-up. Woods debuted in a friendly against the USA in Los Angeles on 16 June 1985 while a Norwich City player. He was rarely left out of an England squad again over the next five years. Woods went to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico but did not play. England went out in the quarter-finals. When at Rangers Woods received his second start in his fifth cap in a 2–0 Wembley win over Yugoslavia that inched England further towards 1988 European Championships qualification. Woods came on as a substitute for Shilton twice in 1987 and started two matches: a European Championships qualifier against Turkey and a goalless draw against Scotland at Hampden Park in the Rous Cup. Two more starts followed in the subsequent season prior to the European Championships in Germany. England suffered two defeats in the opening brace of group games at the 1988 European Championships, and therefore Robson could afford to rest Shilton for the third and final group match, against the USSR, which had been rendered meaningless. Woods therefore played his first match in a competitive finals, his 13th in total, conceding three times in a 3–1 defeat. By now, another goalkeeper had emerged as a potential successor to the ageing Shilton, with QPR's David Seaman receiving a first cap in a draw against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. However, Woods was still regarded by Robson as his primary understudy for Shilton, who had, by now, earned his 100th cap and was about to…

Woods took up a coaching position under Walter Smith at Everton in 1998, where he was tasked with the development of the club's goalkeepers. In July 2013 Woods left Everton to take the goalkeeping coach position at Manchester United, following the same move by first team manager David Moyes. Woods retained his position when Moyes was sacked, in April 2014, but was replaced by Frans Hoek, when Moyes' permanent successor, Louis van Gaal, was appointed. In June 2015 he became goalkeeping coach at West Ham United. He left the role in May 2018 following the appointment of new manager, Manuel Pellegrini. Parallel to being a club coach, in 2011 Woods was employed by the United States national team, linking up with Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard. He took a similar position with the Scotland national team in August 2021.

Nottingham Forest

Football League Cup: 1977–78 European Cup: 1978–79 Norwich City

Football League Cup: 1984–85 Rangers

Scottish Premier Division: 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 Scottish League Cup: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1990–91 Sheffield Wednesday

FA Cup runner-up: 1992–93 Individual

Norwich City Player of the Year: 1983–84 PFA Team of the Year: 1985–86 Second Division Norwich City Hall of Fame inductee: 2003