'Everything we dreamed of': New Zealand football star Chris Wood announces arrival of baby girl

Thursday, 24 April 2025

Premier League player Chris Wood is keen to bring his family back to New Zealand for the last year of his career. Paddy asks: would he play for the Phoenix or Auckland FC?

All Whites captain Chris Wood and his wife Emma have announced the arrival of their first child.

Camille Lily Wood was born via an emergency c-section at 8.08pm on April 14 in England, two days after Wood played in Nottingham Forest’s Premier League match against Everton.

“She is everything we dreamed of and a thousand times more,” Emma Wood posted on Instagram.

The New Zealand football star announced he was expecting his first child with his wife Emma during a Premier League game in October.

After scoring the winning goal against Crystal Palace, he tucked the ball into his shirt and sucked this thumb.

Wood told Stuff the pregnancy was “well-planned” to ensure his availability for the recent World Cup qualifiers.

Chris Wood celebrates after helping the All Whites qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Asked about “getting the timing wrong” and missing the final two games of the Oceania qualifying tournament, Wood replied: “That was very much talked about. And, yeah, we've planned it very well, let's put it that way.”

The All Whites beat New Caledonia in the final to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after overcoming an injury, which forced Wood off the field in the second half.

Wood is currently enjoying the best spell of his career.

He scored his 19th goal of the Premier League season to lead Forest to a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday (NZT). It was his first goal as a dad.