It's shaping up to be a career-defining season for All Whites striker Chris Wood.
After a blistering start to the Premier League campaign with Nottingham Forest, the veteran striker has eight goals in 11 games, just six off his best for a season.
He's just been crowned Premier League Player of the Month, a first for a Forest or New Zealand footballer.
The 32-year-old's prolific strike rate has him sitting behind Erling Haaland in the goalscoring charts, and he's incredibly now just 23 away from joining an exclusive list of players to score 100 Premier League goals.
But there's still something gnawing away at the All Whites skipper.
Wood is desperate to take New Zealand back to the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
"It's been a big driver of mine in my football career," he said.
"It's probably my last chance, I'll be 34 at the next World Cup."
Despite the brutal travel schedule that comes with playing for New Zealand, Wood's form hasn't suffered during a red-hot start to the campaign.
"It's very early on, hopefully come March-April if I'm still two or three behind Erling [Haaland] I think I'll be in a very healthy position.
"He's a great striker and he'll score a lot of goals every season."
Wood admitted Haaland's among a rare breed of traditional No. 9s in the league these days.
"It probably did go out of fashion 6-8 years ago, it's hopefully come back around.
"Erling's a big advocate for that, a big, strong, powerful centre forward who scores goals and helps push the No. 9 franchise for us. I just hope it stays because that's the only way I stay in a job."
Friday's World Cup group game against Vanuatu in Hamilton also offers a return to Waikato for the former Cambridge and Hamilton Wanderers youth player.
"It's fantastic, it's the first time the All Whites have played there properly," he said.
"It's going to be nice to go back there because I've been to watch the Chiefs, the Waikato, when I was growing up. I used to love going to that stadium."
The match at FMG Stadium kicks off at 7.30pm on Friday.
Watch the full interview with Chris Wood on TVNZ+
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