A background to the Millers new signing...
A defender who is no stranger to the South Yorkshire area, Richard Wood today became a Rotherham United player.
Beginning his career with local neighbours Sheffield Wednesday, Wood made his first-team breakthrough at the back end of the 2002/2003 season and made an instant impression, scoring in a 7-2 victory against Burnley – his first start for the Owls. He started the final game of the season, a 2-1 victory over Walsall, but Wednesday were to suffer relegation to the third tier.
At the end of the season he signed his first professional contract, and continued his impressive start by making 17 appearances in all competitions as Wednesday finished in mid-table.
The 2004/05 season proved to be the year when he established himself as a firm fixture in the Wednesday starting 11. After 38 appearances in all competitions, Wood ended the campaign in style playing in the play-off final in Cardiff as Wednesday defeated Hartlepool to ensure their ascension back to the second tier.
He was again a mainstay in the Owls backline as Wednesday maintained their position in The Championship with Wood now earning many admiring glances, however injury curtailed his season early and would rule him out for much of the following campaign.
Two more seasons of regular first-team followed as Wood now became a senior professional in the Hillsborough dressing room, by now approaching 200 appearances.
In 2009 Wood moved to fellow Championship club Coventry City initially on loan before the move was made permanent in January 2010. He was a regular for his new club netting against his former employers in a 1-1 draw with Wednesday, as the Owls succumbed to relegation.
Wood settled into the Coventry defence seamlessly passing 100 appearances in a three-year stint with the Sky Blues.
After relegation with Coventry, Wood was back in the second tier last season after securing a move to Charlton Athletic where he helped the Addicks to the FA Cup Quarter-Final.
He is now back in South Yorkshire after penning a two-year deal with the Millers.