Ian Wright (defender)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the former Arsenal and England striker, see Ian Wright

Personal information
Ian Wright
Full name	Ian Matthew Wright
Date of birth	10 March 1972
Place of birth	Lichfield, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85m)
Nickname	Wrighty
Playing position	Centre Back
Club information
Current club	Retired
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1990-1993 1992 1993-1996 1996-1998 1998-2003 2003-2004 2005-2006 2006-2007	Stoke City Corby Town (loan) Bristol Rovers Hull City Hereford United Burton Albion Hednesford Town Chasetown	6 (0) ? (?) 54 (1) 73 (2) 171 (22) 22 (2) 12 (1) 9 (0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of March 8, 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Ian Wright (born 10 March 1972 in Lichfield) is a retired English footballer who played as a central defender. He started his career at Stoke City and later played for Bristol Rovers and Hull City before dropping down into non-league football with Hereford United.

On his arrival at Edgar Street a £10 bet was placed by two supporters, at odds of 250-1, that he would score 30 goals in his first season as they thought Hereford had signed the former Arsenal and England striker. When they realised their mistake they asked for their money back, but the bookmakers refused to comply. They would have been better off staking that Wright would be Hereford's top scorer, as he went on to score nine goals in all competitions - more than any other Hereford player.

Wright became club captain and was a solid, first choice centre back through some of Hereford's most troubled times. He scored several vital goals for the club, including two in the 2001-02 FA Cup against Wrexham and Swindon. He played almost 200 competitive matches for the club, scoring almost 30 goals. He left in 2003, having trained as an electrician and wishing to play part-time. He joined Burton Albion, where he scored on his debut, until a persistent ankle injury forced him to retire. However a year later he was back in action as defensive cover at Hednesford Town.

Wright signed for Chasetown who currently play in the Southern League Division One Midlands but in February 2007 he announced his retirement from the game due to a serious injury to his cheekbone/eye socket which could have caused him blindness if he had carried on playing. ^[1]