Richard Wood: Defender retires as player following Doncaster promotion
The 39-year-old made eight appearances as Rovers won the League Two title, the last against AFC Wimbledon on 12 April.
Wood began his career at Sheffield Wednesday, where he played 174 league games, and later had a nine-year spell with Rotherham United before moving on to Doncaster in the summer of 2023.
"You must listen to your body and say stop at the right time," he said in a message on the club website., external
"I like to think I have been honest throughout my career. Honest about my limitations as a player and with every teammate and coach I have encountered along the way.
"As much as it breaks my heart, I have had to take that same approach with this decision. Defying the odds and pushing these old bones through pre-season after pre-season is a challenge which I have relished but deep down I know it's time to leave that to the next generation – yes, and the one below that."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Bursary student looks to break boundaries in professional cricketing world
A talented cricketer is hoping to make his name in the professional game after signing for one of England's top counties. South African-born student Caleb Falconer, 18, has joined Middlesex on an academy contract and hopes to turn professional. The all-rounder has already appeared for the county's 2nd XI after moving to the UK to study in the sixth form at Millfield School in Somerset with a sports scholarship. Caleb, from Gqeberha, South Africa, has now achieved D* D grades in BTEC sport and a C in his business studies A-level. ' Cricket was in my life from as early as I can remember,' said Caleb, who from the age of two would follow his father Stuart, an elite cricket coach, to sessions at schools and clubs around his hometown. 'Throughout my childhood I tagged along to the sessions my dad would be taking and looked to pick up whatever I could. 'That's where my love of cricket was born and I went from there.' During those formative years Caleb looked up to iconic South African batter AB de Villiers, widely renowned as one of the finest players of his generation. 'For any young cricketer growing up in South Africa at that time, they would all say AB de Villiers is the player that inspires them,' he said. Caleb was the 2024 recipient of the Middlesex CCC youth player of the year award after scoring 1,062 runs for the U18s, including a double century against Sussex. That led to playing for the county 2nd XI and scoring a century against Lancashire before being called up for an England Invitational XI. The teenager moved to England having found his opportunities to play cricket in South Africa were reduced because of the quotas system in place to encourage the development of ethnic minority cricketers. His family based themselves in Berkshire, while Caleb joined the school as a full-time boarder. Mark Garaway, Millfield's director of cricket, said: 'It has been a privilege to work with Caleb over the past two years. 'He is an exceptional talent, as demonstrated through his performances for both Millfield and Middlesex CCC throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons. 'His time here has been filled with moments that will be long remembered. Beyond his ability on the field, Caleb is a remarkable individual and natural leader. 'He has earned the respect of staff, coaches and fellow students alike, who have all admired his maturity, composure and calmness, especially in high-pressure situations. 'These are the hallmarks of a truly great leader. We are all excited to follow Caleb as he takes the next step in his cricketing journey with Middlesex CCC, and we wish him every success in the professional game.'
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Aston Villa given fitness boost for key man ahead of Premier League opener against Newcastle
Aston Villa are increasingly hopeful that Morgan Rogers will be fit for Saturday's Premier League opener against Newcastle. The forward, a contender for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, damaged his ankle in a pre-season friendly against Roma on August 6 and did not feature in the preparation games against Marseille and Villarreal. But Rogers has been involved in training this week and confidence is growing that he will be ready for the clash with Eddie Howe 's team at Villa Park. Rogers, 23, was one of the breakout stars of the last Premier League campaign, hitting double figures for goals and assists in all competitions, and breaking into the senior England squad. Aston Villa are hopeful Morgan Rogers will be fit for Saturday's Premier League opener against Newcastle He signed a new deal with Villa less than a year ago but his progress has been so rapid that the club are expected to offer him improved terms in the coming weeks, as first revealed by Daily Mail Sport on July 21. Villa have been relatively quiet in the market this summer, though they remain in talks to sell homegrown midfielder Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle for about £40million, after Villa brought in Evann Guessand from Nice for about £28m to bolster their attack. Instead, the focus has been on securing the futures of their key players, with Boubacar Kamara and Lucas Digne signing new deals and others, including Youri Tielemans and John McGinn, expected to follow. Villa are also looking at a deal to bring back Marco Asensio, who spent the second half of last season at the club on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
Reuters
12 minutes ago
- Reuters
Liverpool bolster defence with Leoni deal before Premier League opener
LIVERPOOL, England, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Liverpool manager Arne Slot continued to reinforce his squad on the eve of their Premier League season opener, confirming on Thursday that the club had agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma. While no financial details were disclosed, British media reported the fee for the Serie A player at 26 million euros ($30.34 million). Slot's men kick off the defence of their title when they host Bournemouth on Friday on what is sure to be an emotional night at Anfield following the death of Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his brother in a car crash in July. Leoni is expected to have a medical later on Thursday and will immediately join the first team, with the club ruling out any possibility of a loan move. The teenager will join Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez -- who is a doubt for Friday having recently returned from an Achilles injury -- among Slot's centre-back options and shore up a back line that showed frailties during pre-season. "There are reasons for it," Slot said, citing injuries, mixed lineups, and the integration of new players. "The standard here is 10/10, we are doing everything well but 'well' is not good enough. We have to go a step up. "Come (Friday) evening against Bournemouth, there are no excuses." Slot is cautiously optimistic Liverpool can retain their title. "The main reason that it's so difficult is because there are so many competitors who can win the league. It's unbelievable if you are able to do it in this league," the Dutchman said. "This year will be even harder than before. Every season and pre-season has its challenges. We have lost many starters. "It's not always yourself but the teams you face. We've lost five to six players who played quite a lot of minutes last season, and brought in four, so it's normal there's adaptation." Liverpool have a tough start to the campaign, with games away to Newcastle United and at home to last season's runners-up Arsenal among their first three fixtures. "We start with Bournemouth, probably the most intense team in the league last season, in running and playing style," Slot said. There is plenty of anticipation around Liverpool's new attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz after the Reds shattered their transfer record to sign the 22-year-old German international from Bayer Leverkusen in June. They paid 100 million pounds ($135.66 million), with a further maximum of 16 million in potential bonuses. Slot was full of praise for Wirtz, but cautioned he might need time to adjust to the intensity of England's top tier. "Good players always find a way of playing in a good team - he is a good player and he plays in a good team," Slot said. "Factually we can see him as a young player, but I don't see him as one. He won the cup and league in Germany (in 2024), and his mentality is his biggest strength. "That says a lot, because when you see him play he is so creative. He is mentally strong, he doesn't get distracted by a transfer fee or anything else." ($1 = 0.7371 pounds) ($1 = 0.8568 euros)
