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Eddie Howe has admitted he would not have relished taking on Chris Wood after witnessing his Haka during his Newcastle initiation.

The 33-year-old New Zealand international performed the traditional Maori dance as he formally announced himself to his new team-mates after signing up for the Magpies’ battle against relegation in a £25million switch from Burnley in January 2022. Former central defender Howe, whose team will head into battle with the in-form Wood when he returns to St James’ Park with his Nottingham Forest team-mates on Sunday, revealed his performance left a lasting impression.

Asked how he would have felt having to line up against the striker post-Haka, the 47-year-old said with a smile: “I never shied away from a challenge as a player, but probably looking at the level I played at, I’m not sure I would fair too well against Chris.”

Howe added: “One of my vivid memories of Chris was him in his initiation moment doing the Haka, a hugely impressive thing. He’s such a big lad and he was fully engaged, fully aggressive and he delivered it to a really high standard.

“Chris is a character, Chris is a strong person and that’s why when he came into the club when we were in a desperate position in the league, he immediately solidified the group. “You need strong characters in that moment, you need players that have been in that position many times before, but he rolled his sleeves up, he went to work and he can be really proud of his time at the club.

“People too often look at statistics and draw their judgment from just numbers. Chris’ time isn’t defined by that for me, it’s defined by what he did to the group and how he helped us stay in the league.”

Wood, who was signed amid an early spending spree by Newcastle’s new Saudi-backed owners during their first transfer window, scored five goals in 39 appearances during his 18 months on Tyneside before joining Forest, initially on loan and then completing a £15million permanent switch in June 2023.

He has been a revelation since, scoring 18 Premier League goals to date this season to help drive his club into third place in the table and keep it there.

Howe, who described the frontman’s sale as “a necessity” as he re-shaped his squad, said: “He’s had an incredible season. He’s been outstanding. “Chris, when he came to us, helped us in a really difficult situation, fighting relegation. We felt we needed a focal point in that position, someone who could take a lot of pressure off us as a team and be a physical presence, and he was outstanding for the team.

“It probably under-estimated how much he affected our style and out-play, and that enabled us to stay in the league.”