Kiwi's footy passion a family affair

But an English mother, a father obsessed by the round-ball code and a like-minded sister certainly helps.

Most of Wood's childhood friends in Auckland wanted to star for the All Blacks. But Albion's newest first team player dreamed of playing in the Premier League.

Last Saturday his prayers were answered, at the age of just 17. His appearance as a substitute against Portsmouth made him Albion's youngest league player since a 16-year-old Bobby Hope in 1960.

Wood recalls: "Football was always my passion. People tried to get me to play rugby because of my size, but my mum wouldn't let me. She was worried I would get hurt but I have always had a thing for football.

"It is my passion and when my dad was playing I was always watching him.

"My dad, Grant, played local league football. He played for Onehunga Sports in New Zealand and I was there every week on the sidelines. All his brothers played rugby and he was the one who decided to play football, although his dad wasn't too happy about that.

"Football is a tiny sport compared to over here. Rugby is the national sport where you get all the big crowds. You only get a couple of hundred at football.

"But nearly every Premier League game is on the TV live. We get five or six games over the weekend, except my one last weekend!

"They are shown in the middle of night, because we are 13 hours ahead and when I was a kid I used to watch them, although my parents didn't know about that.

"I used to keep the TV on quiet and I was up nearly every week watching Chelsea play. I am a Chelsea supporter.

"Gianfranco Zola was my main hero growing up and Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink. They were the two I admired when I was young. One day I would love to meet them."

With a father as devoted to football as Grant, it was hardly surprising that Chris would develop a love for the game in favour of his nation's national sport.

Wood senior's influence rubbed off on the whole family. Daughter Chelsey – named after Grant's favourite Premier League team – plays under-20s football for her country as well as studying medicine.

Wife Julie, originally from south London, has left her husband and daughter behind on the north island for at least two years, to relocate to Great Barr in support of her child.

The Albion striker said: "My family have made a lot of sacrifices but this is the best place to be in the world for football so I had to come over here.

"I have been over since July and my mother came over with me. We live in Great Barr. I have settled and since Christmas it has been like this is home now. I call this home now, but I still miss everything about New Zealand.

"New Zealand is a lot more simple and quiet. There are less people and coming over here there are so many more people - so everything is noisy.

"Mum has settled in fine now as well and we went home at Christmas. We might be going home at the end of the season as well.

"My sister is at university and Dad is earning money to send over here. He is a boss at a fire protection company.

"My sister is Chelsey Wood. My mum wouldn't let her be Chelsea with an A so it had to be Chelsey with a Y. She is 19 in June and she is studying to be a doctor. She is very smart and plays football as well.

"She plays for New Zealand under-20s. She is an international and is very good.

"My mum is English and she moved to New Zealand 20 years ago with my father. She never really wanted to come back but knew she had to for me. I am grateful for that.

"She will stay with me during my two-year scholarship period and after that we will re-evaluate if I am 'big enough' to stay on my own."

Since arriving in England last summer, things have gone better than the 6ft 3in tall Wood or his parents could have dreamed.

The likable Kiwi has scored regular goals for the youth team, leapfrogged many of his more established academy team-mates to become a reserve team regular, and has now made a shock appearance for the senior side.

Yet, despite his swift elevation into the first team, Baggies staff have not allowed Wood to forget his duties as an academy scholar.

So, after making his Premier League debut at Fratton Park on Saturday, Wood was at the Great Barr training ground ahead of his team-mates three days later to complete his daily chores.

His workload includes traditional boot-cleaning duties for South Korea international Kim Do-Heon, a player who failed to make the squad at Portsmouth as his teenage boot-boy made his bow.

Wood said: "Every morning my job is to lay out the equipment. Before training I have to make sure the equipment is out for the first team, youth team and physios and then at the end I have to bring it all back in again.

"That's bibs, cones, hurdles, everything. I start that at about 9.30am but I come in at 9am and get the boots clean. I clean Kim's. He gave me a good tip at Christmas.

"I am studying a BTEC at Sandwell Academy and I also have my NVQ work.

"I believe it is important, because it is something to fall back on.

"The chores keep my feet on the ground. I played in the Premier League on Saturday and then on Tuesday I was in, cleaning dirty boots and doing the equipment."