Richard Wright

Ipswich Town

Wright was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, and signed a professional contract with Ipswich Town on 2 January 1995 after serving his apprenticeship and made his debut as a 17-year-old in a 2–0 victory at home to Coventry City in May that year. The season ended with Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League, and for the following four, Ipswich lost in the promotion play-offs from the Football League First Division. He played a major role in Ipswich's 1999–2000 season when the club were promoted via the play-offs at the fifth attempt. On 29 May 2000, in the play-off final against Barnsley, Ipswich won 4–2, with Wright's long goal kick being flicked on by Marcus Stewart for Richard Naylor to put them 2–1 up. Wright scored an unfortunate own goal when a shot rebounded off the bar and hit him, and then gave away a penalty kick by fouling Craig Hignett, but saved it from Darren Barnard. In Ipswich's first season back in the top flight, he inspired them to 5th place and qualification to the UEFA Cup.

Arsenal

Wright joined Arsenal on 5 July 2001 for £2 million. He signed a five-year contract. Manager Arsène Wenger envisaged him as a long-term successor to David Seaman and also as a more experienced competitor for the previous second-choice goalkeeper Alex Manninger, who soon left the club. Wright made his debut against Derby County on 29 September, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 win at Pride Park which sent Arsenal top of the table. On his UEFA Champions…

Wright was capped twice for England, making his debut against Malta in a friendly on 3 June 2000; he gave away two penalty kicks, conceding the first as David Carabott's shot rebounded into the net off his head after hitting the post, and saving the second, again from Carabott, in the 88th minute as England won 2–1. He was a member of the England UEFA Euro 2000 squad, where he was third choice behind David Seaman and Nigel Martyn. On 15 August 2001, he earned his second and final cap, replacing the injured David James, who himself had replaced Martyn at half-time in a 2–0 friendly defeat against the Netherlands at White Hart Lane. Wright kept a clean sheet, as England were already 2–0 down when he came on.

Following his retirement at the end of the 2015–16 season, Wright remained with Manchester City and became a goalkeeping coach on Pep Guardiola's coaching staff.

In November 1998, Wright and his girlfriend Kelly Hammond had a son, Harry. In May 2000, two days after Ipswich had beaten Bolton Wanderers in the play-off semi-final to reach Wembley, he and Kelly married. Wright's father-in-law, Geoff Hammond, a former full-back, scored two goals in 69 Ipswich appearances between 1970 and 1973. Harry, who also plays as a goalkeeper, signed a professional deal for Ipswich on his 17th birthday.