Members News: CCFPA’s Newest Member Is Ex Sky Blue FB … Stephen Wright

Sky Blue Stephen 2008-09

Thanks to CCFPA’s Recruitment Officer Ed Blackaby, we can now reveal the name of our latest former Sky Blue CCFPA Member -the first of two trailed in outr teasers yesterday! Welcome to the Association, Stephen Wright who played full back for the Sky Blues for two Championship seasons (2008-10) midway through a sixteen year professional career of nearly 350 games in England and Wales (but only six goals)!

The Bootle born (08/02/1980) defender, despite being an Everton supporter, cut his footballing teeth locally with a youth contract at rivals Liverpool from June 1996 turning pro a year later. He had to wait a while for his Reds’ first team debut in November 2000 after a good loan spell of 23 games at D1 Crewe Alexandra during 1999-2000. Settling on right back as his preferred position Stephen went on to make 21 top flight appearances for the Reds scoring his only Liverpool goal in their UEFA Champions League 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in October 2001.

Stephen Wright in Sky Blue action

With competition for places tough Stephen switched to Sunderland for 2002-03 for a £1.5m plus transfer fee. Winning a reputation as a tough, uncompromising defender won him plaudits despite the Mackems being relegated in Stephen’s first season there and ‘gaffer’ (and consequently now fellow CCFPA member Peter Reid lost his job)! Not always first choice No.2 nevertheless Stephen saw the Black Cats return to the Premier League in 2005-06 only to be relegated straight away. Largely forgotten in the Sunderland reserves Stephen went out for an injury hit loan spell of 17 games to City’s fellow Championship side Stoke City in 2007-08.

Stephen Wirght in the Sky Blue 2009-10

At this point Chris Coleman‘s Sky Blues stepped in and signed him on a free after he proved himself on trial in the pre-season friendlies. He signed a two year contract the day before the start of the 2008-09 season, made his debut in our first home game on 9th August 008 against Norwich City and the following season was offered the captain’s armband!  In two seasons with the Sky Blues Stephen made 62 Sky Blues first team appearances without netting. At the end of the 2009-10 Championship season Stephen was deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ and released. subsequently released on a free transfer.

After a trial Brentford offered Stephen a contract at the end of October 2010 but he only made thirteen League One appearances for the Bees in 2010-11 and subsequently the following season signed a short-term deal with Hartlepool but only got eleven first team outings there before dropping down to play for Conference National side Wrexham in March 2012. In Wales he had some success and by September 2014 when he joined WPL Aberystwyth Town for a season had scored two goals in 59 games. Stayin in the Principality Stephen wound down his playing time with a season each at Rhyl (2015-16) and Denbigh Town (2016-17). After hanging up his boots in 2017 he now works (as a 41 year old) as a coach as part of the Wrexham academy set-up currently working as the Welsh club’s Youth Team Manager.

We look forward to welcoming Stephen personally to a Sky Blue game and/or CCFPA event hopefully in the coming season as soon as his work commitments allow! We also hope to share a photo of our former full back with his official Association tie and membership badge we have recently sent him as soon as we receive it from Stephen.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images. Look out soon for the reveal of our second new recruit trailled yesterday