Alan Wright

Football player infobox


playername = Alan Wright
fullname = Alan Geoffrey Wright
nickname = Little Alan Wright
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|9|28
cityofbirth = Ashton under Lyne
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=5|in=4
currentclub = Cheltenham Town
clubnumber = 3
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs = Blackpool
years = 1989–1991
1991–1995
1995–2003
2003–2004
2003–2004
2004–2007
2006
2006
2006–2007
2007
2007
2007– | clubs = Blackpool
Blackburn Rovers
Aston Villa
Middlesbrough
→ Sheffield United (loan)
Sheffield United
→ Derby County (loan)
→ Leeds United (loan)
→ Cardiff City (loan)
→ Doncaster Rovers (loan)
→ Nottingham Forest (loan)
Cheltenham Town
caps(goals) = 098 (0)
074 (1)
260 (5)
002 (0)
009 (0)
033 (1)
007 (0)
001 (0)
007 (0)
003 (0)
009 (0)
033 (1) | nationalyears = 1992
nationalteam = England U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 002 (0)
pcupdate = 21:09, 6 July 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Alan Geoffrey Wright (born 28 September 1971 in Ashton-under-Lyne) is an English professional footballer who is currently on non-contract terms with Cheltenham Town.

He has played over 620 league and cup games for eight clubs, including an eight year spell for Aston Villa. He has also played for Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United plus a loan spells at Derby County, Leeds United, Cardiff City, Doncaster Rovers and Nottingham Forest

His position is left back, and he is famous for being the shortest player in Premier League history standing at only 5 feet 4 inches tall - once straining his knee trying to reach the accelerator of his new Ferraricite news
title = BBC Sport
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/7642418.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-09-29
accessdate = 2008-09-28] . His chant with the Villa fans was to the tune of 'feeling hot hot hot' replacing it with 'Alan Wright Wright Wright', a play on a similar chant used at Arsenal for Highbury favourite Ian Wright. He remains a popular figure with Aston Villa fans.

Blackpool and Blackburn

Wright began his career as a trainee at Blackpool, for whom he made 91 appearances between April 1989 and October 1991. The new Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish noticed Wright, and brought him to Ewood Park for £400,000, breaking Blackpool's transfer record. He spent 4 years at Ewood park, but thanks to the arrival of England left back Graeme Le Saux, made only 67 appearances for the club, seven as a substitute. He was, however, part of the Blackburn squad that won the Premiership in the 1994-95 season.

Villa years

Wright was signed from Blackburn Rovers for the fee of £1,000,000 in the summer of 1995, brought to the club by then Villa manager Brian Little. Wright made an immediate impact, appearing in the team for their opening day home victory over Manchester United.

His first goal for Aston Villa came later that season against Middlesbrough, opening the scoring in a two goal victory on New Years Day 1996, in which Wright was also in a defence that kept a clean sheet. Wright scored one other goal that season, rounding off the scoring in a 3-0 home defeat of Leeds United. Wright was also part of the Aston Villa 1996 League Cup winning side, beating Leeds once again, this time at Wembley.

In the 1996/97 season, Wright scored only once, this time against Wimbledon, scoring the second in a 2-0 win. Despite playing in the majority of the fixtures in the 1997/98 season, Wright failed to find the net. He appeared in the Aston Villa side that lost the 2000 FA Cup final to Chelsea.

With the emergence of the younger J Lloyd Samuel from the Villa academy, he transferred to Middlesbrough for free in August 2003.

Sheffield United

Wright appeared only twice for Middlesbrough, one a 4-0 reverse at home to Arsenal, before being loaned out to Championship side Sheffield United on 31 October 2003, signing for them permanently on 12 January 2004.

Playing in the Championship, Wright continued his impressive disciplinary record (never sent off to date) and was also part of the Sheffield United side that upset Aston Villa 3-1 in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in the 2004-05 season.

Wright made a couple of appearances for United at the start of the 2006-07 season, the last against Arsenal on 23 September 2006. Since then he has been out on loan playing 1 game with Leeds United and 7 games for Cardiff City. On February 16, 2007 he joined Doncaster Rovers on a month's loan scoring 4 headed goals,

Wright joined Nottingham Forest on loan until the end of the 2006-07 season in March 2007,cite news
title = Forest bag Blades' Wright on loan
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/nottm_forest/6458933.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-03-16
accessdate = 2007-05-08] where he has linked up with former Aston Villa team mate Colin Calderwood (now managing Forest), ostensibly as cover for the suspended Julian Bennett. Wright extended his loan with Nottingham Forest in May 2007 and played in the League One play-off semi-final against Yeovil Town, in which he scored an own goal.cite news
title = Wright extends Forest loan deal
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/nottm_forest/6635079.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-05-08
accessdate = 2007-05-08] He was released by Sheffield United in May 2007.

In July 2007, Wright was offered a trial by Oldham Athletic but eventually joined Cheltenham Town on non-contract basis on 8 October 2007.He has subsequently signed a contract until the end of the 2007/2008 with Cheltenham Town.

On his return to the City Ground on April 5, 2008, whilst representing Cheltenham, Wright was given a standing ovation by all four stands when substituted, where the fans commonly knew him as the Big Man.

Honours

Blackpool
*Division Four play-off winner: 1990-91

Blackburn Rovers
*FA Premier League championship: 1994-95

Aston Villa
*League Cup winner: 1995-96

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ctfc.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10434~5499,00.html Alan Wright player profile] at ctfc.com
* [http://www.mfc.co.uk/page/Squad/ProfilesDetail/0,,1~5499,00.html Alan Wright player profile] at mfc.co.uk
* [http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/PlayerProfiles/0,,10265~5499,00.html Alan Wright player profile] at avfc.co.uk
*soccerbase|id=8714|name=Alan Wright