Former Durham City and Washington AFC striker, Harry Wood, has joined Washington United for the 2020/21 season in division one of the Wearside League.

The 22-year-old striking sensation has previously travelled the world with his skills, gaining experience playing for Binghamton University in the United States before suffering a serious cruciate ligament injury.

In an earlier interview with Washington's own media officer, Matthew Crichton, Wood described his time at Binghamton University as “being the hardest of my entire life, it was those weeks that are the reason I still play football today.”

Further on in that same interview, Wood described his time with other players, including former Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland AFC defender, Pascal Chimbonda, who Wood described as “quite a controversial character” but always “drove the team to perform better”.

Upon signing for Washington, Wood sat down with us and answered a Q&A about his footballing career so far and what he expects from his move to the club.

WUFC: “Why did you decide to join Washington?”

Wood: “I’ve decided to join because of the incredible setup that is in place here, there is a plan that has a bright future and I’m more than happy to be a part of that.

“There has been a mix of youth and experience signed onto the club and it’s a group of lads who I have no doubt will bring success to the club.”

WUFC: “Is there anything in particular that attracts you to the club?”

Wood: “As I said before the plans in place, haven’t got a bad word to say about anything that’s went on so far and I’m sure that will stay that way. Washy United has a bright future.”

WUFC: “What do you think of our manager Cameron Thompson?”

Wood: “I’ve been incredibly impressed with Cameron to say the least, initially I thought his youth would show a lack of experience however I was completely wrong.

“Absolutely everything he’s done so far for both me and the club have been so thorough, and that’s from the training session to the things that go on behind closed doors. His standards are high and that’s exactly what I like in a manager.”

WUFC: “Is there any particular style of play that you think suits you?”

Wood: “I’ve talked to Cam loads about the style of play here and it absolutely suits me down to the ground. Been a while since I’ve had that in a club and it makes me excited to get started.”

WUFC: “The club have just announced a deal at Nissan, what will it be like to play there?”

Wood: “I’ve already had plenty of experience playing there from when I played for Washy FC in the northern league.

“It’s a lovely pitch and it’s very well kept, will be great having it as my home pitch for the coming season.”

WUFC: “What are your aims as a player for this season?”

Wood: “As a striker hopefully score plenty goals and help the team achieve a successful first season!”

WUFC: "What do you think you could help bring to the club?"

Wood: “Leading the line in a team is a big responsibility and I feel more than confident in doing that job.

“With the team behind me I have no doubt they will help me become better as an individual facilitate what I can do.”

The Dugout’s View:

Manager Cameron Thompson has given Wood some high praise and believes he can help catapult Washington to higher levels.

Thompson said: “I think when people see this signing, it’ll make them sit up and take us seriously.

“Harry is an excellent addition to the squad, his experience at a higher level and his ability to perform at northern league level and abroad will prove to be invaluable for us going forward.

“I think when you’re a new club, people are always spending time trying to work you out, how good you are going to be, what your structure is like, and they compare you to other clubs.

“It’s an honour to have him on board and raring to go.”

Assistant manager, Kallum Warne, has also been quick to praise Harry Wood.

Warne said: “This is an outstanding acquisition for the club to be able to get someone of Harry's calibre. It shows what we are trying to achieve here.

“He's played at a higher level for a long period of time, so even at a young age adds a bit of experience we need within the squad.

“His ability to glide past people is frightening and we can’t wait to see him get going in United’s colours.”

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