Midfielder Neil Wood made his debut in Athletic's friendly at Southport and hopes to gain a contract on the strength of it. The ex- Manchester United player is 23 and recently turned down the terms offered at Blackpool. Disappointed with the lack of first team opportunities at Old Trafford, Wood decided to relinquish the captaincy of their reserve team and look for some first team football. He had previously been on loan at Peterborough and Burnley but he did make 17 Championship appearances for Coventry before arriving at Blackpool on a free transfer. In the game he provided a handy outlet and was passing the ball around confidently. He also got stuck in well, particularly when Southport attempted to play the ball through the middle.