AYLESBURY UNITED | BEATING HEART

The Division One Central club's appearance record was broken this week

Jack Wood stands as the beating heart of Aylesbury United; a player whose name has become synonymous with loyalty, leadership, and longevity.

Since making his debut as a 17 year-old loanee from Luton Town in March 2010, he has worn the green and white with unmatched pride, reaching 670 club appearances, breaking the record held previously by Cliff Hercules, on Wednesday evening in the 2-2 draw with Welwyn Garden City.

Starting initially as a midfielder, he moved to tie down a role for himself at right-back before becoming a mainstay of the defence in a central position. That journey from midfield to centre-back reflects not only his versatility but also a willingness to serve wherever the team needed him most.

“I am very proud to beat the appearance record,” Wood told us. “It’s been in my sight for a while, so to finally achieve it is really special at a club that means so much to me.

“In all honesty, I didn’t expect to be here for as long as I have been. Originally I came in on a youth loan from Luton Town and then just never looked back.

“My debut came against Arlesey Town, who I’d previously served on a youth loan; we won the game 2-1, but as I came off the pitch that day, I never expected that I would chalk up 670 appearances for the club!”

Appointed captain at the tender age of 19 by then-manager Tony Joyce, Wood has been the embodiment of commitment, turning down opportunities to play at higher levels and for much better financial rewards to remain faithful to the Ducks.

His consistency has been rewarded with an extraordinary 19 end-of-season awards, a true and enduring testament to the respect he commands from managers, team-mates, and supporters alike. Beyond the numbers, his legacy is written in decisive moments: towering headers in FA Cup ties, rallying speeches in the dressing room, and countless displays of resilience and determination on the pitch, embodied most in his fine reading of the game, allowing him to make countless goal-saving challenges.

“There have been a lot of good memories over the years,” he added. “The stand-out moments have probably been the promotion season in which, if my memory is correct, we actually went something like 28 games unbeaten!

“Winning a Cup Final against Hadley at Berkhamsted was another great night – there have been many more special memories from over the years, alongside some special people both on and off the pitch.”

Typically, on his record-breaking evening earlier this week, with his club facing a 2-0 defeat, he took ownership of the situation and pressed forward into the front line for the last 10 minutes, striving for a goal that would give hope of a comeback.

It was his assist that created the first goal for Luke Martin in the 91st minute, which was followed shortly before the end of added time by a second, equalising goal by 17-year-old Finlay Reeves, quite fitting that he scored his first goal for the Ducks at the age at which his skipper started his Ducks journey.

“The current campaign has not gone as well as we would have liked so far,” he admitted. “Wednesday’s game showed the battling qualities and spirit that we have here to grab a point having been two goals down going into stoppage time at the end.

“We know that we have to be more consistent and clinical if we are to push further up the table. Hopefully I can play my part in helping us keep clean sheets and be able to chip in with a few goals along the way too.

“As I say, this club means so much to me and I am desperate to get us moving in the right direction.”

The club will celebrate Jack Wood’s record when they host Hitchin Town on November 22nd. At 33 years of age, the signs are that there is still plenty more in the tank for him to extend his number of appearances even further.

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