As expected Richard Wright has signed a new deal with Town. The keeper will stay with Town until the end of the 2003/04 season. He is pretty much the last of the younger Town players to be tied down on a long-term deal.
Commenting on the signing of the deal manager George Burley said: "Richard's signing of a new contract is a tremendous boost for everyone at the club. He has shown this season that he is one of the finest goalkeepers in the Premiership and it has been great that Sven-Goran Eriksson has recognised this by choosing him to be part of the full England squad."
Wright misses the England games in the summer as he'll be recovering from his hernia operation which he undergoes Monday. The Town boss sees Wright as having an important role in Town's future: "Hopefully Richard can help us, over the next few seasons, pursue our goal of competing in Europe at the highest level as well as establishing ourselves in the Premier League."
He continued: "Richard's signature today means that virtually every member of the first team squad is now under contract for the next two seasons at least. This secures valuable continuity in what has proved this season to be a successful and strong team."
Last summer saw protracted an less than friendly negotiations between Wright's agent and the club. This season all seems to have gone more smoothly.
Hermann Hreidarsson and Amir Karic have been called up to their national sides for World Cup qualifiers. Hreidarsson's Iceland play Malta at home on June 2nd and then Bulgaria, June 6th.
Amir's Slovenians are likely to thrash Luxembourg on June 2nd before travelling to Switzerland for a game on the 6th. Karic was sent off in the Switzerland fixture in Slovenia by Paul Durkin and missed the subsequent games with suspension.
Today's Do You Remember? star is Stuart Slater. Last Sunday he was part of the Forest Green Rovers side whoch lost to Canvey Island. But what do you remember of his spell at Town? Click the link on the Message Board: http://www.twtd.co.uk/messages