Chris Woods

Christopher Charles Eric Woods (born 14 November 1959) is an English football coach and former professional footballer, who is goalkeeping coach for the Scotland national team.

As a player, he was a goalkeeper who played in the Football League and Premier League for Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Southampton and Burnley.

He also played in the Scottish Football League for Rangers and in Major League Soccer for the Colorado Rapids.

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 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.

He was an England international and was largely Peter Shilton's long-time understudy in the England team in the mid to late 1980s, finally claiming the number one shirt for himself after the 1990 World Cup.

In all, he managed to accrue 43 caps in an eight-year international career.

Woods has been goalkeeper coach for Everton, the United States and Manchester United.

He was most recently coaching at West Ham United.

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.

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 Division title and a Scottish League Cup medal in his first season.

From November 1986 to January 1987 he set a British record by playing 1196 consecutive minutes of competitive football without conceding a goal.

The run was ended at Ibrox on 31 January 1987 when Adrian Sprott scored the only goal for Hamilton Academical in the 70th minute of a Scottish Cup tie.

Woods won another Scottish League Cup winners medal with Rangers in 1987–88, although rivals Celtic won a league and Scottish Cup double.

Rangers regained the league title in 1989.

Woods missed half the season with an infection that affected his balance and vision.

Woods won further Scottish league titles in 1989–90 and 1990–91.

In the 1991 close season, new Rangers manager Walter Smith replaced Woods with Scottish international Andy Goram.

This signing was made in part because UEFA had introduced a rule limiting foreign players, which meant that Rangers could only field three non-Scottish players in European matches.

In August 1991, Woods signed for Trevor Francis at Sheffield Wednesday for £1.2 million.

Wednesday had just won the League Cup and promotion to England's top tier.

Wednesday lost the 1993 Football League Cup Final 2–1 to Arsenal.

A few weeks later Woods lost in the 1993 FA Cup Final.

Wednesday again played Arsenal initially drawing 1–1.

Arsenal's Andy Linighan's header made them the 2–1 winner in the closing seconds of extra time.

Ironically, both Linighan and Woods were former Norwich players, with defeat in both finals costing Wednesday a place in Europe for 1993–94.

By the 1995–96 season Woods was out of favour at Wednesday to Kevin Pressman as first-choice goalkeeper.

Woods had a short loan spell at Reading.

In 1996, he joined Colorado Rapids in the USA.

In October 1996, Graeme Souness, now manager at Southampton, negotiated his loan from Colorado Rapids as cover for Dave Beasant, with a view to a permanent transfer.

In 2002, he was voted into the club's Hall of Fame.