(Credit: Getty Images)

Ben Palmer

Fri 21 March 2025 16:00, UK

Chris Wood has been in the form of his life for Nottingham Forest and Anthony Elanga sent his teammate a message on social media after an update.

The 33-year-old signed a contract extension to keep him at the City Ground until 2027, having scored 18 Premier League goals this season.

Thanks to his rejuvenation with the Tricky Trees, after a frustrating period with Newcastle, Forest are now on course for Champions League football.

Having enjoyed his best season in the Premier League in Nottingham, Wood has carried on scoring whilst on international duty the other side of the world.

Chris Wood bags hattrick in stunning New Zealand win

Currently the only Kiwi playing in the Premier League, Wood was in fine form as his nation romped to a 7-0 win over Samoa, with Wood scoring a hat-trick.

New Zealand are one game away from qualifying to the 2026 World Cup and will play New Caledonia on Monday (24 March), in their bid to join Japan, Mexico, the USA and Canada as the already qualified sides set to compete in next year’s competition.

Elanga, meanwhile, has joined up with his Swedish teammates, readying themselves for friendlies against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.

However, they will be without Man United target Viktor Gyokeres, who has been forced to pull out of the squad, due to injury.

Following the thumping, Wood posted a number of images of himself in action for the All Whites, captioned: “One to go! Thanks for all your support, see you Monday”.

Elanga then responded, hyping up his teammate by saying: “Hat trick herooooo”.

Nottingham Forest hoping to keep Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White

Football Insider Verdict

A by-product of a successful season like Forest’s is that teams with more resources and deeper pockets will swoop in, trying to prize away your best players.

Murillo is garnering interest from Chelsea, having been a rock at the back this season, alongside Nikola Milenkovic.

Meanwhile, Forest are doing “everything they can” to keep hold of Morgan Gibbs-White, with Liverpool keen on the former Wolves man.

However, with the Tricky Trees on course to qualify for the Champions League, the finances afforded to them will put them in a stronger position.

Qualification will allow Forest to either offer high wages, or demand a higher asking price, and whilst it is never fun to see your best players leave, the long-term benefits of this current season will likely be felt for a long time at the City Ground.