Curtis Woods Player Profile

Biography

Full-back who earned a move to the English Premier League off the back of winning the Harry Cavan Youth Cup in 2009 and eventually returned to the Showgrounds for a short spell.

The Newtownabbey born defender grew up as both an aspiring young footballer and a talented for athletics, specifically athletics. An Irish School's Champion at both 200m and 400m distances and a competitor at the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2008, it was the same year which he joined Ballymena United, where his father was also a coach at the club's Thirds team. 16-year-old Curtis was one of the standout performers as the young Sky Blues triumphed 3-0 against Linfield Rangers in the Harry Cavan Youth Cup final at Seaview.

Those performances merited a transfer to Burnley and a two year scholarship with the newly promoted English Premier League side in July 2009, Curtis progressed quickly into the clubs' Reserves but could not force himself into the first team reckoning and like many young scholars, the football dream bubble was burst in April 2011 following his release from Turf Moor. Woods returned home to Northern Ireland, and re-signed with Ballymena United in July ahead of the 2011/2012 season.

Following his debut in August against Crusaders, the 19-year-old struggled to adapt to part-time senior football with inconsistent performances from the teenager in the ruthless environment of Irish League football with Walker's side struggling for collective form. Glenn Ferguson replaced Walker in December 2011 and that was the beginning of the end for Curtis' time at the Sky Blues, as he soon found games hard to come by. Disillusioned with football the defender's contract was mutually terminated in February 2012 to allow him to focus on a return to athletics following just 14 senior appearances for United.

After two full seasons focusing purely on athletics, Curtis began to edge back onto the football pitch during the 2014/2015 campaign with Carrickfergus based side Woodlands in the first half of the season before Carrick Rangers manager Gary Haveron made a January deadline day swoop to bring Curtis into boost his defensive options for the Championship promotion push. Despite promotion coupled with a League and (Intermediate) Cup double, Curtis was a peripheral figure in both successes for Rangers.

With the dust barely settled on the 2014/2015 season, Larne boss David McAlinden signed Curtis in May 2015 to remain in Championship 1. His stay at Inver Park was a brief one, lasting only five games before another late deadline day move ' this time to Ballyclare Comrades. It was at Dixon Park where the full-back finally established himself as a regular starter and began to flourish as the Comrades reached the promotion playoffs during the 2016/2017 season.

Last updated: 9 May 2017

Last updated: 30 January 2022