Ex-Keeper Wright Set to Retire Sunday, 15th May 2016 21:37 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.
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