After nine years, the 37-year-old – practically a part of the furniture at Rotherham United – pulled on the red and white of the Millers for one final time.
Little did he know, his next opportunity was right around the corner, almost quite literally.
In May, it was announced that the veteran defender had penned a one-year deal with local rivals Doncaster Rovers, taking him into his 22nd season in professional football.
“I’ve known Grant McCann for years,” he reveals. “I used to live on the same street as him back when I played for Sheffield Wednesday and he played for Barnsley at the time. I’ve always got on well with him.
“It made sense to do it. They’re local to me, which is a good thing because I don’t have to move anywhere or travel too far or stay in hotels. That’s what fans don’t see a lot of the time, but players are travelling and being away from their families. It’s a great life to have and everyone wants to be a footballer, but it’s not an easy ride.
“I’m looking forward to a new, fresh challenge because I’ve been at Rotherham for that long, but I’m going to have to walk into a new dressing room now and prove myself all over again to the fans and to the rest of the staff and players at Doncaster.”
After it was confirmed that Wood wasn’t going to be offered a new deal with Rotherham, some might have expected him to call time on his playing career, but it wasn’t even a question for the man himself.
“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind,” he answers. “I knew if I had to leave Rotherham that I’d definitely carry on playing. At my age – I’m 38 in July – I want to keep going as long as I can until there are no Clubs coming in for me – that’ll be the time to hang up!”
As it transpired, he received plenty of interest and his age wasn’t a deterring factor for newly appointed Rovers manager McCann.
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