FIFA Place West Brom’s Chris Wood in the Middle of One of Their Diplomacy Games

The West Brom Blog regrets nothing – not even impulse buying that diamond encrusted pair of socks. But onto Chris Wood.

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FIFA’s intentions whenever they compile one of their ‘lists’ are never entirely transparent and when it came to compiling their most recent list – ‘Top Teenage Prospects’, diplomacy obviously got tangled with the desire to name some of the best young players in the world, because the sight of Chris Wood’s name within it is impossible to explain in any other way.

At 17, Wood is undoubtedly a promising player. He has a good goalscoring record in the reserve and youth teams, he holds up the ball well using his imposing build and he even works hard. A brief glance around the league in fact, and he stands out as one of the youngest striking prospects there is.

However, let us not mistake this relatively positive description for a glowing endorsement of one of ‘The Top Teenage Prospects in the World’. He’s a good player, but only relative to a Championship standard of football. He’s one of the youngest striking prospects that there is in the Championship, but only because the most significant young talents already ply their trade in the Premier League or in other top flights around Europe.

Wood’s inclusion in, what at best is a recognition of talent and at worst a token gesture designed to appease all, is in no way based on his ability as a footballer, rather, it is based on the country of his birth – New Zealand. FIFA’s obsession with diplomacy, even down to a low profile post on its website, never abates. Wood has been placed on that list in order for FIFA to convince the world, or simply itself, that it treats all of its “family” equally, even its extended “family” in Oceania.

It’s ironic that with constant vigilance against causing offence, offence is inevitably caused. Nobody believes that Chris Wood belongs on that list, his position on it not only makes a mockery of the list, but of him also. In his breakthrough season, in a crucial World Cup year, FIFA has assigned him the unwanted role of diplomatic pawn in a minor and therefore all the more petty, little game that it calls ‘Name The World’s Top Teenage Prospects’.

FIFA can enjoy discussing teenagers if they wish, though they may first want to grow up themselves.

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