Defender Wood retires after Doncaster promotion

Richard Wood played his first English Football League game in 2003

Doncaster Rovers defender Richard Wood has announced his retirement after winning promotion for the fifth time in his career.

The 39-year-old made eight appearances as Rovers won the League Two title, the last against AFC Wimbledon on 12 April.

Wood began his career at Sheffield Wednesday, where he played 174 league games, and later had a nine-year spell with Rotherham United before moving on to Doncaster in the summer of 2023.

"You must listen to your body and say stop at the right time," he said in a message on the club website.

"I like to think I have been honest throughout my career. Honest about my limitations as a player and with every teammate and coach I have encountered along the way.

"As much as it breaks my heart, I have had to take that same approach with this decision. Defying the odds and pushing these old bones through pre-season after pre-season is a challenge which I have relished but deep down I know it's time to leave that to the next generation – yes, and the one below that."

Wood won his first promotion with Sheffield Wednesday in 2005 and went up three times from League One during his time at Rotherham, during which they also won the EFL Trophy in 2022.

One of his most memorable games came in 2018, scoring both goals, including an extra-time winner, as they beat Shrewsbury Town 2-1 in a play-off final at Wembley.

"It has been a fairytale. I'm lost for the words to explain how privileged I feel to have enjoyed the career that I have," he added.

"667 appearances for eight different clubs – no wonder I'm creaking! – and five promotions is a CV I could never have dreamed of writing as a fresh-faced 17yr old making my debut for Sheffield Wednesday back in 2003."

Meanwhile, Doncaster have announced that Tom Anderson, Bobby Faulkner, Ian Lawlor, Joseph Olowu and Billy Sharp are in contract discussions with the club.