Boreham Wood FC is delighted to announce the signing of Jay Bird on a short-term loan deal from Salford City.
A mainstay of the MK Dons academy, Bird spent 11 years of his youth career and three years of his senior career with the Dons. He then made loan moves to local sides Hitchin Town and Wealdstone, before moving to Dagenham & Redbridge on a non-contractual basis in 2022. In a whirlwind start to life in East London, Bird made his debut from the bench, scoring a late winner against Scunthorpe United.
Bird then traded East London for the Scottish suburbs, putting pen to paper with Scottish Championship side Arbroath on a one-year contract in 2023. He scored six goals in 33 appearances, an experience which he called “tough” but one which helped to build him as a person.
Moving back to England, Bird signed for League One side Exeter City, before enjoying perhaps his most successful spell of football with Rochdale. He scored six goals in 11 National League appearances for the Dale, describing the team as a “really good team” and likening that Rochdale side to the current Wood setup.
A powerful yet pacey striker, Bird adds to the attacking talent already in the squad. He labelled his play style as “fast and athletic.” “I like to score goals,” he exclaimed.
Garrard commented, “Jay is someone we have identified for some time. He has the profile we feel complements what we have in the building and he will add other strengths with his power and pace. His metrics from his previous loan at this level were very pleasing and we believe with the quality of our players and the manner in which we are performing will give him the opportunity to really excel with us during his loan.”
Welcome to WD6, Jay Bird.
