Ryan Michael Woods (born 13 December 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Bristol Rovers on loan from club Hull City.
Woods began his senior career with Shrewsbury Town and is a product of the Shrewsbury Town and Walsall youth systems. In 2015, after helping Shrewsbury to promotion back to League One, he transferred to Brentford for a fee of £1 million. He became a key member of the Brentford squad helping the team to establish themselves in the Championship. Woods spent four seasons at Griffin Park before joining Stoke City in August 2018. Woods struggled for game time at Stoke following a change of managers and he spent one-and-a-half seasons on loan at Millwall. He joined Birmingham City in June 2021, and left for Hull City just over a year later.
Career
Shrewsbury Town
Woods began his youth career with local club Walsall, but was released at age 15 and moved to Shrewsbury Town in 2009. He completed a scholarship and signed his first professional contract in May 2012. Woods received his maiden call into the first team squad for a League One match at home to Carlisle United on 15 December 2012, but remained an unused substitute during the 2–1 win. After six further calls into the squad, Woods made his debut as an 89th-minute substitute for Aaron Wildig in a 1–0 home win over Oldham Athletic on 23 April 2013. Four days later he played his only other game of the season, again replacing Wildig for the last six minutes of a 3–2 win against Portsmouth at the New Meadow. He signed a contract extension on 10 June 2013.
Woods made his first senior start for Shrewsbury Town in a 2–2 draw away at Rotherham United on 24 August 2013, playing at right back owing to a shortage of defenders. He scored his first senior goal – and only Shrewsbury goal – on 11 January 2014, in the seventh minute of a 3–2 defeat to Milton Keynes Dons at the Stadium mk. Having established himself in the first team, with 43 appearances in all competitions in 2013–14, he triggered a clause in his contract to extend his stay at the club for at least another season, despite the Shrews' relegation to League Two. His performances during the campaign earned him the Shrewsbury Town Away Travel Club Young Player of the Year and the Family Stand Player of the Season awards.
Woods had an excellent 2014–15 season, making 51 appearances and helping Shrewsbury secure automatic promotion back to League One with a second-place finish. Woods and teammate Connor Goldson were named in the League Two PFA Team of the Year. Woods was nominated for the League Two Player of the Year at the Football League Awards, but lost out to Danny Mayor of Bury. Woods began the 2015–16 season as an ever-present and following vice-captain Connor Goldson's departure, he captained Shrewsbury for the first time on 22 August 2015. Woods' final Shrewsbury appearance came on 29 August in a 1–0 defeat to Burton Albion and he departed the New Meadow three days later on transfer deadline day. He made 103 appearances and scored once during his three years as a professional with Shrewsbury Town.
Brentford
Woods signed a three-year contract with Championship club Brentford on 1 September 2015. The fee, officially undisclosed, was reported locally as £1 million. He made his debut 11 days later, away to Leeds United, as a 74th-minute substitute for Maxime Colin. Two minutes after coming on, he turned over possession to Mirko Antenucci, who then scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw. After the appointment of interim manager Lee Carsley later that month, Woods became a regular starter. He scored his first Brentford goal with a long-range strike to open a 2–1 win over Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 28 December, assisting Sergi Canós for the winning goal in the second half. On 23 April 2016, he scored from a similar distance in a 4–1 win at Milton Keynes Dons, a result which confirmed the opponents' relegation. He finished the 2015–16 season with 42 appearances and two goals.