Chris Wood © Gallo Images

Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood scored a hat-trick for New Zealand in an 8-0 win over Samoa in World Cup qualifying on Monday, continuing his red-hot form for club and country.

The striker scored twice in an 8-1 win over Vanuatu on Friday and he did it again against the overmatched 186th-ranked Samoans.

Skipper Wood scored from close range in the 28th, 34th and 60th minutes in Auckland as New Zealand inch closer to their first World Cup since 2010.

They now begin Oceania’s final qualifying round in March to reach the World Cup in North America in 2026, with Fiji their next opponent.

Wood, 32, is in the form of his life, scoring eight goals in 11 Premier League appearances so far this season and helping Forest to fifth in the table.

Wood, whose former clubs include Leeds, Newcastle, Leicester and Burnley, was named the Premier League Player of the Month for October, the first New Zealander to win the award.