League Two side Newport County have confirmed the signing of Penybont FC attacking midfielder Nathan Wood on a 2-year deal after the expiration of his contract with the Cyrmu Premier side, as confirmed by the official Newport website.
The 26-year-old spent eight years with Penybont FC at youth and professional levels. He went on to amass 36 goals and 23 assists during his 130-game stint for the club.
He also played a part for the Welsh side in the 21/22 season as they came runners-up in the Welsh Cup. He would manage four goals and an assist in his six appearances in that specific run. Now, with his stint at Penybont over, he has put pen to paper on a move to join Graham Coughlan’s Newport County as they look to improve on a 15th-place finish in League Two last season.
Who is Nathan Wood?
Wood, who grew up in and around the Newport area, is an attacking midfielder who has played for a number of clubs throughout his professional career. He came through the youth ranks at Newport County, before departing The Exiles in 2015. His senior career then started with a brief spell at Undy before joining Penybont FC, where he has spent the last eight seasons developing as an attacking midfielder, predominantly on the left side.
In his most recent season for Penybont FC, he managed 15 goals and seven assists throughout all competitions.
He is also a Welsh international, racking up two appearances for Wales’ C team. He made his debut for his nation on March 30th 2022 in a 4-0 win over England’s C team. He was then also a part of a 1-0 loss to England’s C team on March 21st 2023, nearly a year after making his debut for his country.
What has been said?
Newport boss Graham Coughlan had positive words about his newest signing, stating:
“Nathan is very attack-minded and I believe he gives us something that we don’t currently have. He’ll add extra dimension to our offensive play.
“It’s a great opportunity for him, coming from the Welsh Premier League. We’ve had a lot of success in players from the league previously at the football club. He was a standout performer in that division last season and it’s an opportunity he fully deserves. I am really looking forward to working with him.”
Nathan Wood also was delighted after re-signing for the Exiles, saying:
“Obviously being a local lad playing for your home-town club is a great feeling. I was really disappointed that I couldn’t go that extra step at the time, but it’s come full circle and I’m back – and it feels really good.”
Nathan added: “I’ve been a fan of Newport for years. I watched the club get promoted from the Conference to the Football League. I was at the first league game of the season, and I know how much it means to the fans and just how passionate they are. For me to be a part of that and have the opportunity to come here is a no brainer.”
Writer’s View
I believe this is a very suitable signing made by Newport. With Wood being a regular in the youth setup, he will already know his way around the club. Also, being former teammates with that of current Newport player James Waite at Penybont, he should be made to feel at home at Rodney Parade.
Further, after the recent AGM meeting which saw discussions on finances of the club, it’s clear to see The Exiles will not have much of a transfer budget going into this summer.
So, it makes sense bringing in a free agent from a league where Newport have had previous success, with signings such as Will Evans and James Waite impressing in the EFL. The signing seems both sensible and beneficial as Newport tended to struggle in terms of creativity at many points last season.
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