Former Town keeper Richard Wright is set to hang up his gloves this summer with his time at Manchester City having come to an end.

Wright, 38, has spent the last four seasons with the Premier League side as back-up to Joe Hart and latterly Willy Caballero but without playing a competitive senior game.

Following City’s 1-1 final day draw at Swansea this afternoon, Caballero wished Wright well for his future on Instagram: “All the best in your new chapter. It was a pleasure to train and spend two years with you. Thanks for everything, you helped me and I wish you the best for you and your family.”

Later, Wright’s son Harry, a 17-year-old keeper with Town’s academy, subsequently posted on Instagram: “What a career my dad has had as a professional footballer playing at every level. Gutted for it to be his last game as a professional footballer but can't wait to see what's in store for him.”

Ipswich-born Wright came through the youth system at Portman Road and made his debut as a 17-year-old in a 2-0 home victory over Coventry City in the Premier League in May 1995.

He quickly went on to establish himself in the Blues first team and was a key man in the team which won promotion back to the top flight in 1999/00 - saving a penalty in the 4-2 play-off final victory against Barnsley - and finished fifth in the Premier League the following season.

Wright made the first of two England appearances in a friendly against Malta that June - an eventful international debut in which he conceded two penalties, saving one - and was the third England keeper at Euro 2000 behind David Seaman and Nigel Martyn but didn’t play.

In July 2001 he joined Arsenal for £2 million - not the often quoted figure of £6 million - signing a five-year deal but after only one season and 22 games he moved on to Everton, where he spent five years but also suffered a series of injuries.

Having come close to rejoining Town, the 6ft 2in tall keeper signed for West Ham in the summer of 2007.

After a stint on loan at Southampton, where former Blues boss George Burley was manager and his Town mentor Malcolm Webster was his goalkeeper-coach, Wright finally moved back to Portman Road, where his old team-mate Jim Magilton was in charge, the following summer.

Magilton's successor Roy Keane released him in the summer of 2010 and he signed for Sheffield United where he spent a year but made only two senior appearances before returning to Town for a third stint in November 2011, adding one more game to his Blues total.

Having been released at the end of that season he spent a brief spell coaching the with the academy prior to an abortive move to Preston which lasted only a week before he joined Manchester City.

Across his three spells with Town Wright, whose father-in-law is ex-Blues defender Geoff Hammond, made 355 starts and no sub appearances.

Photo: Action Images

TractorRoyNo1 added 08:24 - May 16 Good luck Plug. One of a very small group of East Anglian footballers to play for his country.
2

Gcon added 08:30 - May 16 A top keeper and a lovely man.
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planetblue_2011 added 08:35 - May 16 Well done wrighty u was a great keeper for us & always remember the playoff final saving the important penalty, then we went on to win, bloody brilliant!!! Also I remember playing with him for whitton many moons ago, always knew he would make it👍🏻
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Len_Brennan added 08:41 - May 16 Agree with those who feel we may not have been relegated had he stayed with us. The Marshall & SerenI situation was a disaster & it cost us £5m. Marshall was always going to be a bit short in quality, injury or no injury, whereas SerenI was the epitome of the "great shot stopper" goalkeeper, who had the unfortunate habit of knocking the ball back out to the oncoming striker. He never learned how to angle the ball away or tip it around the post. The prospect of Uefa cup football as our number 1 could have been enough for Wright, but I guess he felt it was his best chance of making it to a top 4 side & to be fair he obviously backed himself to win the no 1 jersey at Arsenal, as opposed to just taking the money.

1

dirtydingusmagee added 08:51 - May 16 good luck ''Plug'' hope you enjoy whatever you do in future .
1

Bergholtblue added 08:59 - May 16 It was absolutely the right decision to go to Arsenal. He was in the reckoning for the England number 1, a position he wouldn't hold down playing at Ipswich. (i know you might not agree but England managers only ever look at those from the top 6 clubs). Seaman was stuttering and seemingly past his best. Unfortunately, Wrighty coming in was the kick up the backside that Seaman needed and he had a new lease of life. He was Arsenal's FA cup keeper until Wenger kicked him in the teeth by picking Seaman for the final. He moved to Everton where he picked up a series of injuries (didn't he dislocate his should by falling from a height whilst at home?) This meant that Moyes had to sign Nigel Martyn as cover, who then went on to have one of his best keeping spells of his career. Then that was that. When he should have been at his peak he was warming benches around the League. Could pull off outstanding saves but was also prone to the odd howler that inevitably ended in a goal for the opposition. Couldn't call him a "great" keeper because he didn't start enough games.

0

bobble added 09:27 - May 16 The next best after paul cooper
3

PortmanTerrorist added 09:38 - May 16 Easy for the detractors, but Richard Wright Wright Wright was easily the best ITFC keeper of the modern age. Think the days of our promotion pushing days have been a little forgotten, but to go into a season knowing your keeper might make 1 mistake all season and keep you in games he had no right to are gone. Though fair dues to Bart for showing positive signs at back end of season. Consistency is the key and we had a few years from Wrighty when we didn't need to talk about, consider or worry about the keeper position. What a luxury ! Rest up Mr Wright and i know forgive you for signing your name on a picture of a lady spinning a wheel that my wife handed to you. What was i supposed to do with that. Oh, and also forgive you for waving to my wife from the back of the team coach as we all left Oxford. She still talks about it !

3

Daleyitfc added 09:46 - May 16 At 38, I'd have him back here installed as our #1 for the next 2 seasons at least. One of the few people who on his death-bed will say : "I wish I'd spent more time in the office" ...
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nhabo added 09:57 - May 16 Unlucky to find himself behind first Seaman and then Martyn, who both prolonged their careers with an unbelievable level of performance. I have a lot of good memories of Wright's first spell at Ipswich at for those, thank you! Best wishes on your retirement.
1

Lightningboy added 10:39 - May 16 Done bugg3r all for the last 15 years - huge mistake career wise leaving here - no doubt all the money makes up for it.
3

runningout added 10:40 - May 16 some kind comments here..
0

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 10:42 - May 16 Fantastic keeper for us in the pre-promotion years, and all the more appreciated as he is "one of our own." Great presence: just seemed to dominate his nearest 1/3 of the field. Shouldn't have gone to Arsenal so soon (or at all - but that's wishful thinking). Good luck with whatever you do from now on!
2

Bluespeed225 added 11:16 - May 16 Penalty and rebound save against, I think, Stockport, 99(?). Actually made me get out of my seat, and applaud for several minutes.
2

superblues9 added 12:01 - May 16 I know what I mean blue speed or was it Grimsby ?
0

TR11BLU added 12:02 - May 16 I hope the big pile of money makes up for the lack of game time (and hard skin on yer ar$e) Great keeper for us, thereafter....waste
2

carsey added 12:36 - May 16 Good memories but as others have said a wasted talent. Should have been playing not sitting on a bench watching. Still the money probably helps take the sting out of the pain in the buttocks.
2

bigautographs added 13:43 - May 16 what a waste of talent! spent his career mostly on the bench picking up his wages.. i remember meeting ray parlour and he disliked wright at arsenal. it was all about the money for wrighty.
2

oldegold added 13:49 - May 16 A goalie who was good for us but should have stayed at Town but went for the money and subsequently threw his career away. Apparently in 2000 when his career was on the up, he had a clause that he would be sold to Arsenal so, so much for loyalty. At the tail end of his career, he was supposed to go to Preston NE and signed on but then deemed it too far away from his family and asked for his contract to be rescinded. A week later he signed for Man City...clearly a man of principle.

1

SouperJim added 14:21 - May 16 Lovely to read such a load of ignorant drivel regarding one of the greatest players to pull on an Ipswich shirt in the last 20 years.
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Taricco_Fan added 16:01 - May 16 A wasted career in terms of actually playing football.
3

grumpyoldman added 16:19 - May 16 The best keeper ever to pull on an Ipswich shirt, a talent wasted over time. He went to Arsenal hoping he could dislodge Seaman, poor advice!
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jas0999 added 17:07 - May 16 The club slipped up if all we received was £2M. Should never allowed him a release clause for so little. I wish Wrighty all the best for the future, but what a waste of his goalkeeping talents for the past four years. Still, it was probably good financially so good for him.
2

pegasus added 18:41 - May 16 Expanding the point made in various comments: the departure of Richard Wright to Arsenal and the onset of Dale Roberts' illness and his early death were devastating blows from which ITFC still hasn't fully recovered.
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happybeingblue added 18:55 - May 16 blimey thought hed retired yrs ago
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