Woods: Martin Paul (Martin)

2003-2005 (Leeds United Player Details) (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Bellshill: 01-01-1986

Debut: Sunderland (a) (Substitute): 26-12-2004

5’9” 10st 9lb (2007)

Woods started his career as a trainee at Leeds United where he was capped by Scotland Youth. He made just one substitute appearance for Leeds before a loan spell at Hartlepool United where he made three League starts and three more from the bench with another two in the cup competitions. His next move took him to Sunderland where he made one League start and another six from the bench with another start in the League Cup. He scored in his debut in pre-season but failed to make an impact and was released at the end of the 2005-06 season. He signed for Rotherham United on 1st August 2006 as an attacking left-sided midfield player noted for his long range shooting and free kicks. Woods was a regular in the first team for the Millers, receiving the ‘Man of the Match’ award regularly. He scored his first goal against local rivals Doncaster Rovers, where he shot the ball into the top left corner of the net from twenty-five yards, in a match where the Millers were 3-2 losers. Woods scored his second goal for the club against Swansea, with an unstoppable shot from thirty yards in the dying seconds of the match. Less than a week later he continued his excellent run of form with two superb goals during Rotherham's 4-1 victory over Bradford City. The first was an astounding free kick from over fifty-five yards; the second a volley from just outside the box which left the keeper helpless. He scored four times in thirty-one starts and five more from the bench in League games while at Millmooor and he made two League Cup starts and one in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy game without scoring. On 5th June 2007, Woods was transferred to Doncaster Rovers, after Rotherham had been relegated. He elected to join Rovers despite interest from Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Scunthorpe United. He made seven League starts and a further seven from the bench. He scored his only goal in a Cup match in one of his six appearances in those competitions in 2007-08. On 14th February 2008, Woods joined Yeovil Town on a one-month loan deal and started three League games with them. He was a virtual ever-present with Rovers in the 2009-10 season to the end of March 2010, but, due to suspension and a groin operation, was out until the new season but then regained his first-team place and his regular spot until October 2010 when injuries struck and apart for one game at home to Reading in January 2011, he was out until January 2012 and played just four League games and one F.A. Cup tie in the 2011-12 season. He next moved to Barnsley on a free transfer on 31st January 2014 on a short-term contract until the end of the season, after scoring seven times in ninety-six starts and twenty-one games from the bench in the League, scored once in three Johnstone's Paint Trophy games and once in eight starts and one game from the bench in the League Cup and once in eight F.A. Cup starts and one from the bench, in his games with Doncaster. He did not stay long at Oakwell and started just six League games and two from the bench, without scoring. He returned to Scotland and joined Ross County in early July 2014 on a short term contract until the end of January 2015. That contract was later extended until the end of the 2014-15 season. He had scored twice in twenty-six starts and one game from the bench in the Scottish League and one start in the Scottish Cup without scoring. He then signed for Shrewsbury Town on 27th May 2015 on a two year contract, but after just three months they allowed him to return to Ross County in late October 2015 for family reasons after starting just four League games and one League Cup tie. He signed a similar two year deal with his former club and at the end of the 2016-17 season he had scored twice in fifty Scottish League starts and five games from the bench and once more in seven Scottish League Cup starts and had started four Scottish League Cup games without scoring. He went on to represented Scotland at Under-Nineteen level and twice at Under-Twenty-one level, in which his debut came on 28th February 2006, when he started at inside-left in a 4-0 home win over Iceland and was later replaced by Rocco Quinn. His second cap came on 16th May 2006 in a 0-1 away defeat by Northern Ireland in which he played at Outside-Left and was later replaced by Charlie Mulgrew.