WOOD EYES UP MORE GLORY!

MILLERS CAPTAIN LEADS NEW PROMOTION PUSH

- John Lyons

SCORING twice to earn your team promotion in a play-off final at Wembley takes some beating, but Rotherham skipper Richard Wood reckons success this season could end up running it close.

It was less than two years ago that Wood became the unlikely goal hero at the home of football. Unlikely because rugged centre-backs don’t often steal the show.

But he netted twice, including an extra-time winner, as the Millers beat Shrewsbury 2-1 to earn immediate promotion back to the Championship.

“It’s absolute madness when I look back at it now,” Wood told The FLP. “What am I doing scoring two goals at Wembley as a centre-half ? It was the best feeling of my football life.

“I watch videos now and it gives me goosebumps. I love watching it and my children do as well.

“From the January I’d played well and scored a few important goals, but that just topped it off. I will never forget it.”

Rotherham couldn’t maintain their place in the Championship last term and continued their recent yo-yo existence with relegation. Yet now they could be on the rise again – heading into the weekend Paul Warne’s men were top of League One after surging up the table in recent months.

So would another promotion be just as special for Wood, who joined the Millers in 2014 and signed a new contract last Monday taking him through to the end of next season.

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“It would come close,” admitted the former Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry and Charlton defender, “but I’m hoping we can go up automatically this time – we’d have longer to celebrate!”

Wood admits he can see some similarities now with the events of two seasons ago.