What can Hibs fans expect from Nathan Wood?
An all-round strong defender. Nathan is still young and that means there are at times inconsistencies to iron out of his game, but in general, Wood has everything you could possibly want in a modern centre-back. He's tall, strong in the tackle, reads the game well and very comfortable with ball at his feet.
What are Nathan’s best qualities?
As noted above, right now, there doesn't seem to be any particular traits that are particularly stronger than others. He is really strong all-round on the qualities you would want in a centre-back. He does usually read the game very well and is really comfortable with the ball at his feet, which comes from his schooling in the Boro academy.
How did regular football at Crewe help his development?
Crewe was Wood's first loan move and helped him experience not only regular first team football, but also that battle to maintain a place in the team. He wasn't a guaranteed starter at Crewe and while the reports back were largely really positive, there was one game in particular where he was susceptible for a goal conceded and was subsequently dropped to the bench in the next game. It's that experience and evaluation of the high standards required, as well as the first team experience learning to be more consistent and keep his concentration that Wood will benefit from loans.
How do you think he will perform in the Scottish Premiership?
It's an intriguing one I'm interested in seeing myself. On his good days, I believe Wood will take to the Scottish Premiership with ease. Nothing seems to faze him, and he really does have the quality. A lot might depend on how much he developed physically since last season. One of the big reasons Boro chose to loan him to Crewe last season was after he was required to play in a Championship game against Rotherham and in that game, he was physically overwhelmed by Michael Smith - albeit on a night Boro were poor as a collective. That, I suspect, will be Wood's biggest challenge in Scotland - proving himself capable of dealing with the physical battles. He has the frame to bulk up and deal with it, but at 19 his body is still developing.
How much potential does he have?
If Nathan can develop physically, I genuinely see no reason why Nathan can't be a future English Premier League regular. Middlesbrough have a good recent history of producing top-quality centre-backs from their academy and Wood certainly could be the next. He's an England U20 international, which speaks volumes of his high potential. He's really highly thought of at Middlesbrough and these loan exits are designed at priming him for the eventual plan of integrating him into Boro's first team picture. Last season he provided solid cover in the first half of the campaign, performing solidly when called upon - particularly in keeping an early clean sheet at Nottingham Forest. But with Boro's defence so strong, he wasn't playing often, and that aforementioned Rotherham game was a timely reminder that, while sitting on the bench, Wood wasn't gaining enough first team experience. If Boro fail to win promotion this term, then there's a good chance that fellow academy graduate Dael Fry will leave the club for the top flight. Wood would be a natural replacement, and that makes it such an important move and season for him at Hibernian. This is his chance to build his experience and prove himself capable.