2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Boreham Wood

Player Decisions

Retain

Chris Bush, Charlie O’Connell, Junior Dixon, Zak Brunt, Abdul Abdulmalik, James Clarke, Callum Reynolds, Luke Norris, Tom White, Ollie Kensdale, Regan Booty, Marley Marshall-Miranda, Lewis Richardson, Matt Rush

Release

Nathan Ashmore, Cameron Coxe, Jack Payne, Erico Sousa, Charles Clayden, Joe Newton, Femi Ilesanmi

Loan End

Leon Ayinde, Ted Curd, Josh Landers

Loan Out / Let Go

Junior Dixon, Aaron Henry

Sign

Luca Gunter, Oliver Bainbridge, Tarryn Allarakhia, Tylor Golden

Retained Squad

New Signings

Justin Amaluzor (Grimsby Town – loan)

One player that I would be looking at if I were in Luke Garrard’s position is Grimsby Town winger Justin Amaluzor. While he remains contracted to The Mariners, some Town fans have sighted that they need to strengthen in the wide areas and that 29-year-old Amaluzor – who signed for the club last summer from Altrincham – may well be one that they make available for a loan. If so, I think that Amaluzor may be a good option for Boreham Wood. 

While he has played predominantly off the right-hand side for Altrincham and Grimsby Town, I feel that he could provide value for Boreham Wood operating off the left. The former Robins attacker is a right-footed player, and given the way in which Wood looks to attack – an emphasis on quick transitions, and getting the ball into the wide players – then I think that Amaluzor may well provide more value from the left-hand side. Off the right, I feel that you can perhaps isolate Amaluzor and force him into central areas on his weaker left where the play is too congested. However, if he plays off the left then he can stand players up and bring the ball onto his stronger right and this is more natural in getting shots off. 

If I was Luke Garrard, I think that part of their business this summer has to be about finding the Abdul Abdulmalik Mk2. While the precious talent remains contracted to Boreham Wood, I feel they’ve got to be appreciative of the fact that if he continues in 2026-27 as he left off in 2025-26 then even with the best will in the world they may struggle to keep hold of him in January. As such, I feel that it represents clever long-term planning for Boreham Wood to bring in a player that can step into his shoes. 

In the short-term, I feel that he can provide real value off that right-hand side and give good competition to Lewis Richardson. The one area in which I feel they can elevate their output in an attacking sense is on the right-hand side. While Erico Sousa and Lewis Richardson had glimpses of quality last term, I think that their attack is heavily orientated towards the left and Abdulmalik and so I would be looking for a player that can be similarly quick and direct in wanting to commit players. 

As a profile, Amaluzor is your archetypal wide attacker. He is hugely dynamic, quick and powerful in his running. Boreham Wood’s play style has relied on having wide players that want to hit the byline, play on the last line and make runs in beyond. I feel that Luke Garrard is one of the best managers for simplifying a players’ game and platforming them correctly, and so I think that joining Boreham Wood would be good for Amaluzor’s form.

Boreham Wood have been known to spend big mid-season to bring in players to give them that extra boost in their aims to get promoted, and so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them splash the cash on a player like Amaluzor given that they know further down the line they are likely to get an outlay for Abdul Abdulmalik. Amaluzor has got good experience in the National League and during his time in the fifth tier demonstrated that he was one of the better wide players in the division, and so I feel he would be a good addition.

Dan Chesters (Salford City – free)

Zak Brunt has been in terrific form for Boreham Wood since signing at Meadow Park, and he will again be in the #10 slot. If I was Luke Garrard, I would be looking to try and find another attacking option that can provide Brunt with some competition. One player that I think might be worth taking a chance on is Dan Chesters. 

Chesters came through the academy at West Ham United, before making a permanent move to Salford City in League Two. He also spent time on loan at Colchester United, and across both spells has made a total of 40 appearances. The youngster is still only 24 years of age and is only two years out of the academy at West Ham United, but he was in and around the fringes of the first-team with The Hammers and was one of the higher flyers in the academy system for them. He is without a doubt a talented player, and he now just needs the right environment and bit of luck to show it. 

As a profile, I think that Chester is best playing as a right-sided #10 whereby he can pick up space between the lines. He is direct in driving with the ball, and his diminutive figure allows him to be a threat when getting on the half-turn and facing the goal. He has got a lovely energy in possession, with an urgency to play forward that I really like. He wants to take players on and commit them back towards their own goal, and so in this regard he provides good continuity of style to Zak Brunt. 

The only question mark on Dan Chesters is the fact that he has had time out with injury and that limited the regularity of his involvement with The Ammies, albeit I would personally not be too worried about that given that Boreham Wood have got one of the best medical departments in the league. They have a way of managing a fairly small squad and keeping everyone fit. He needs to go in somewhere that is going to manage his minutes effectively, and so I think that going in as a #2 may suit Chesters. 

Having been let go by Salford City, I think that he may well have to drop out of the Football League for his next move. I feel that he needs to go somewhere where he doesn’t have the pressure of being a #1 pick every week to prevent overloading him physically, and so I think that Boreham Wood might be a good fit. He can provide competition for Luke Garrard’s side anywhere across the front three positions behind the striker, and so gives them good depth within their squad. If they are to get promoted, I do feel having those two or three extra players in the club to pick may benefit them. 

On a free transfer, I think that it is a fairly slow-risk signing for Luke Garrard and so may well provide them with another useful attacking option within their arsenal. He is definitely a talented player, and he perhaps just needs to take two steps backwards to take three forward, with a fresh challenge, and get his career going again. If they can work a deal for the right money, I feel that Wood should be all over this one.

Tyler Smith (Rochdale – free)

Boreham Wood have already got Matt Rush and Luke Norris on their books, but I think that they will look to add another striker; especially so given Norris will likely not feature a great deal, and Dixon is more than likely to depart. One player that I would look at as a potential signing in the summer is former Rochdale striker Tyler Smith. 

I don’t categorise Smith as being your traditional #9 in the sense of leading the line, but I see Smith as being more of a ‘Matt Rush type’ that wants to play off the shoulder and run in behind the play. Luke Garrard has set his side up to be fairly transitional and an emphasis in playing forward more aggressively through the lines than they have done in previous National League campaigns, and a big part of this has been in having a striker whose first thought is run to goal. Smith provides them with that profile. 

As a player, Smith is a dynamic and agile striker with a nice turn of pace, clever movement beyond the ball, and is always playing on the last line in wanting to stretch teams. Wood has been particularly effective when they are able to work balls into the channel and down the sides of centre-backs and getting a willing runner in Matt Rush that can make those out-to-in runs onto the end of it, and I think that Tyler Smith is a good stylistic fit for this. 

He is somebody that wants the ball into feet, and so this is in-keeping with the way in which Boreham Wood have gone under Garrard in the last 12-18 months in terms of a more possession-based, deliberate, attacking style of play. He offers Boreham Wood many of the same attributes that they have got in Matt Rush in terms of his speed, energy, ability to press from the front and mobility to constantly be on the move and making himself an option. 

One of the reasons as to why I like Smith as a signing for Boreham Wood is the fact that it represents sensible long-term planning. While they have kept Matt Rush so far going into 2026-27, I feel that Wood will appreciate the fact that there is a good chance that he could well attract interest in the January window if he starts the campaign in the same fashion that he ended it. Signing a player of Smith’s profile would provide them with a ready-made replacement for Rush in the event that he is sold, but in the short-term could easily play alongside or in place of Rush as a #2 pick. As such, he provides good options. Wood have got one of the smaller squads in the league traditionally, and so having composite players who can cover a number of bases is key.  

Wood have already signed a promotion winner with Rochdale in the form of Tarryn Allarakhia, and so adding Tyler Smith buys into that approach. Luke Garrard will be keen to go one step further with Wood in 2026-27, and so I think that strengthening the top-end National League experience within his squad is only going to be beneficial in allowing them to scale the same lofty heights this year that they did last.

Ruben Shakpoke (Slough Town – fee)

When I watched Boreham Wood last year, one profile that I think that they lacked in their side was a physical #9. Compared to some of the other top sides, I feel that Luke Garrard’s side perhaps lacked that physical presence at the top end of the pitch that they can build off. One player that I think would be attainable for them going into 2026-27 given that he is currently on the books at Slough Town in the National League South is youngster Ruben Shakpoke. 

Wood have had success out of signing players off the back of good spells in the sixth tier, with Matt Rush getting a move to Meadow Park off the back of strong form for Maidstone United, and Shakpoke is another that has impressed during his time for The Rebels. While he hasn’t been prolific, the 22-year-old has led the line effectively for Scott Davies’ side and as such it wouldn’t surprise me if the youngster got a move higher up the pyramid. 

As a profile, I think that Shakpoke provides Luke Garrard with something completely different to what they’ve got. He is a physically imposing figure. Well-built. Powerful. Good in the air. A great leap on him. He uses his body well, and a big frame that makes it difficult for defenders to dispossess him. He can press. He has a high work-rate, a team player and willing to run the channels. He is someone that thrives on chaos, and the fact that he is perhaps a little bit unpolished. 

One thing that I particularly like about signing a player like Shakpoke is that he occupies defenders, and that he is what I regard as being a ‘pull player’. If you can have those players in the group that attract extra attention to defend against, it opens up space for other players in the team. Shakpoke is such an unorthodox customer and difficult to play against that often he will get multiple defenders doubling up on him to try and cut iim out of the game, and so this will be beneficial as a knock-on effect to their attack. 

In terms of the way that Boreham Wood play and the players that they’ve got in the attacking areas, I think that signing a player like Shakpoke would provide a good fit. Abdulmalik and Richarson like to make runs in beyond the play, and so having a player that can drop short opens space up for the pair to run into. He holds the ball up effectively, and I feel that would allow Zak Brunt the room to run off the back of him and arrive into the box. While Rush has done a good job in playing as the central #9, I think that he would benefit from having that more imposing partner alongside him. 

The Rebels triggered an extension to his contract at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, and so he remains contracted at Arbour Park until June 2027. The Rebels’ model for the last two years under Scott Davies has relied upon bringing in young players and developing them on for profit, and so I feel that The Rebels would be willing to sell if they get the right price. Personally, I don’t think that the fee would be too expensive for the youngster’s signature, and so given that he is a good age with long-term potential and a nice physical profile then I think he represents a smart investment.