Neil Wood on Coaching Adventures…
Neil Wood, a guy who could have more United connections than a footballer has boots, has had quite the journey. Praised by the legendary Fergie, coaching alongside the fiery Roy Keane, and apparently surviving being fired by Gary Neville — Neil Wood has done it all! He’s coached United’s academy amidst Bosnia buildings that looked like they’d been tackled by a very angry Hulk. Wood, after leaving his role as Under-23 manager, ventured into the dragon’s den of Salford City. With more football legends on the board than a Hall of Fame dinner, his 18-month stint was shorter than a referee’s patience in a red card derby. Gaz Neville and Giggsy were quite the complimentary choir, even sending impressed texts like teenagers hyped on caffeine after Wood’s firing.
Jumping between coaching roles faster than a World Cup-winning striker, Wood now juggles duties with Canada’s women’s team and Trinidad and Tobago’s men’s team. Imagine a passport so overworked, it deserves an MVP award! He reminisces a coaching stint in Sarajevo where buildings practically waved ‘hello’ with their shell-scarred facades. There, he rediscovered his love for the game with some tactical zig-zagging that had him comparing 4-4-2 to a prehistoric fossil. Wood fondly remembers the madness of Manchester United’s youth setup, where he mentored rising stars like Amad and Garnacho. He chuckles about Amad’s big price tag being as mysterious as Bigfoot in the early days, while nodding at Garnacho’s sideline antics like an amused teacher watching a class clown. Now, with his itinerant coaching life, Wood is ready for the next tackle in whatever country his football passport takes him next!
