Exeter City: Hull City transfer blunder paying off for Gary Caldwell – View | OneFootball

Ryan Woods has been excellent since signing for Exeter City and it looks like Hull have made a huge error in letting him leave for free.

As Ryan Woods picked himself up off the St James Park turf after being fouled for the fourth time on Saturday it was crystal clear that he was being targeted.

Stevenage, let’s say, put it about as they traveled to Exeter City at the weekend but it was to no avail as the hosts ran out comfortable 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Ed Francis and Kamari Doyle.

It was an impressive performance from the Grecians and it was probably Woods’ best showing of the season, despite the repeated fouling and soft refereeing he had to contend with.

Woods’ displays are no surprise to City fans and we saw his ability in the second half of last season during his initial loan spell from Hull City.

What is puzzling is why he was frozen out by the Tigers and why he was eventually allowed to terminate his contract and move to EX4 for free over the summer.

The 30-year-old midfielder has bounced around a bit since leaving Brentford permanently in January 2019 with four loan spells and four permanent moves in five years.

St James Park is well known as an effective rehabilitation centre for players down on their luck and Woods looks like the latest to turn his career around in the south west.

Ryan Woods loving life at Exeter

When singing for City he cited playing style as the reason why he’s struggled to nail down regular football at the likes of Stoke and Birmingham City, but now he’s got his love for the game back in a team that suits his qualities.

“I feel really comfortable here,” He said on signing permanently. “The gaffer's excellent with me, all the staff are excellent, the fans have been brilliant with me, and we've got a real good group of players as well.

"Ultimately, I've come here to find my love for football and enjoy it again, but to also try and do something successful, and there's a lot to aim for at this football club.

"It's going in the right direction and hopefully we can surprise a few this season and see where that takes us."

He’s got that love back and it’s showing. Caldwell has evolved his City team from the one that would go round and round in circles last year, knocking it about between the defenders before inevitably pumping it long and giving it away.

Woods comes deep and gets it before moving it forward and getting the Grecians on the front foot where the quicker and trickier players can do their thing.

Woods was Exeter's No.1 transfer target

The Scottish boss singled out Woods as his No.1 target over the summer and it’s a move that looks sure to be a very fruitful one for club and player.

“I remember at Port Vale at the end of last season I grabbed him and shouted ‘one more year’ for him, and fortunately we’ve got him for a bit longer!” Caldwell said.

“I am delighted to bring him in. He’s such a big character and someone who understands what it takes to be successful at a higher level.

“I think we all saw last year the change in not only the results but the way in which we controlled games, got the team playing, and he really understood the pace of the game.

“Most importantly he is delighted to be here, and he was only ever going to come back here after everything was sorted with Hull."

Woods can thrive at Exeter for years to come

While it’s been a tough couple of years on the pitch for Woods, he looks like he’s found a home at St James Park and there’s certainly the potential for his two-year deal to be extended longer if he keeps enjoying himself, stays fit, and puts in good performances.

It didn’t work out at Hull and perhaps it was because of the regular moves and losing that enjoyment of getting out there at 3pm on a Saturday.

The Tigers' loss certainly seems to be Exeter’s gain and he currently looks a player who should be adding to his 250-plus Championship appearances rather than starring in League One.

We’re not going to complain and long may it continue. Whatever the reason Hull were desperate to get rid of the midfielder, their loss is certainly City’s gain.