Jermaine Wright

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jermaine Wright

| fullname = Jermaine Malaki Wright{{cite book

| editor-last = Hugman

| editor-first = Barry J.

| title = The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09

| publisher = Mainstream

| year = 2008

| isbn = 978-1-84596-324-8}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|10|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Greenwich, England

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}

| position = Midfielder, Defender

| youthyears1 = {{0|000}}?–1992

| youthclubs1 = Millwall

| years1 = 1992–1994

| years2 = 1994–1998

| years3 = 1996

| years4 = 1998–1999

| years5 = 1999–2004

| years6 = 2004–2006

| years7 = 2005

| years8 = 2006

| years9 = 2006–2008

| years10 = 2008–2009

| years11 = 2010

| years12 = 2010–2011

| clubs1 = Millwall

| clubs2 = Wolverhampton Wanderers

| clubs3 = → Doncaster Rovers (loan)

| clubs4 = Crewe Alexandra

| clubs5 = Ipswich Town

| clubs6 = Leeds United

| clubs7 = → Millwall (loan)

| clubs8 = → Southampton (loan)

| clubs9 = Southampton

| clubs10 = Blackpool

| clubs11 = Croydon Athletic

| clubs12 = Lewes

| caps1 = 0

| caps2 = 20

| caps3 = 13

| caps4 = 49

| caps5 = 184

| caps6 = 38

| caps7 = 15

| caps8 = 13

| caps9 = 78

| caps10 = 3

| caps11 = 0

| caps12 = 26

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 5

| goals5 = 10

| goals6 = 3

| goals7 = 2

| goals8 = 0

| goals9 = 1

| goals10 = 0

| goals11 = 0

| goals12 = 0

| totalcaps = 439

| totalgoals = 21

| nationalyears1 = 1993

| nationalteam1 = England U18

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update =

}}

Jermaine Malaki Wright (born 21 October 1975 in Greenwich) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder and could also operate as a defender.

Football career

Wright started his career at Millwall as a trainee, but moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1994. At Wolves he scored once; his goal coming in a League Cup tie against Fulham in September 1995.{{cite news|title=From the archive – rare League Cup success |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2015/08/11/from-the-archive-rare-league-cup-success/|accessdate=4 December 2015|work=expressandstar.com|date=11 August 2015}} After a loan spell at Doncaster Rovers he joined Crewe Alexandra in February 1998 for a fee of £50,000. At Crewe, his career took off under the guidance of Dario Gradi, who switched him from the right wing to a creative role in the centre of midfield.

In July 1999, after rejecting the offer of a new contract, he was transferred for a fee of £500,000 to Ipswich, where George Burley saw him as a replacement for Kieron Dyer, who had just been sold to Newcastle United. His career thrived under the guidance of Burley but then stalled after he surprisingly opted to move to relegated Leeds United rather than Everton in July 2004.

However, he fell out of favour at Leeds in 2005 and was loaned out first to Millwall (where he had started his career) and then, in January 2006, to Southampton, where he linked up with Burley once more.

After his loan spell ended, he returned to Elland Road where the remaining year of his contract was cancelled by mutual consent. He returned to Southampton for a trial during pre-season training and signed with the club on 10 July 2006 on a two-year deal keeping him at St Mary's until June 2008.{{cite news | title = Happy to be here | publisher = Southampton F.C. | date = 10 July 2006 | url = http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=7147 | access-date = 10 July 2006 | archive-date = 11 March 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070311012534/http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/articles/article.php?page_id=7147 | url-status = dead }} He scored his only Saints goal in the 2–1 home defeat by Queens Park Rangers on 30 September 2006.{{cite news|title=Southampton 1-2 QPR |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/5373256.stm|accessdate=4 December 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|date=30 September 2006}}

Wright was released by Southampton on 2 July 2008. During his two years at St Mary's, Wright made exactly 100 appearances, either in midfield or more often at right-back.

On 11 July 2008, Wright signed for Blackpool on a one-year deal with the option of a second.{{cite news | title = Blackpool sign Wright | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 11 July 2008| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackpool/7502642.stm| accessdate = 11 July 2008}} He made his debut for the Seasiders on 9 August 2008 in a 1–0 home defeat to Bristol City. However, he suffered an Achilles tendon injury in his third league match for the club against Sheffield United on 23 August and a month later he underwent an operation which kept him on the sidelines for more than four months and he never managed to establish himself in the side on his return.{{cite news|title=Midfield Blow For Pool |publisher=Blackpool |date=25 September 2008 |url=http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1403669,00.html |access-date=25 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926123531/http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10432~1403669%2C00.html |archive-date=26 September 2008 }}

On 9 June 2009, Blackpool confirmed that Wright had not been offered a new deal and that he was being released.{{cite news|title=Eight Released As Retained List Is Announced |publisher=Blackpool |date=9 June 2009 |url=http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10432~1689193,00.html |access-date=9 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503100148/http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10432~1689193%2C00.html |archive-date= 3 May 2012 }} In July 2010 newly promoted Isthmian League Premier Division side Croydon Athletic signed Wright for the new season.{{cite news|title=Rams boss hails big double signing |publisher=Sutton & Croydon Guardian |date=3 August 2010 |url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/8308901.display/ |access-date=17 July 2020}} Following allegations that Croydon owner Mazhar Majeed was using the club for money laundering purposes, Wright followed former Crydon boss Tim O'Shea to Lewes in October 2010.{{cite news|title=Dawn of a new era |publisher=Lewes FC |date=29 October 2010 |url=http://www.lewesfc.com/news/2010/10/29/dawn-of-a-new-era |access-date=9 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713203053/http://www.lewesfc.com/news/2010/10/29/dawn-of-a-new-era |archive-date=13 July 2011 }} Wright played an important role in helping Lewes recover from being adrift in last place but the team fell just short by one point of staying up and Wright retired at the end of the 2010–11 season.

Personal life

Wright is the cousin of former Arsenal star Ian Wright,{{cite news | last = Moore | first = Glenn | title = FA set to bring in Howe | work = The Independent | date = 24 December 1994 | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/fa-set-to-bring-in-howe-1388512.html | accessdate = 20 October 2010}} and played alongside Ian's son, Bradley, at Southampton. Meanwhile, Jermaine's own son, Drey, plays for St Johnstone F.C.

Career statistics

rowspan=2\|Club !rowspan=2\|Season !colspan=3\|League !colspan=2\|FA Cup !colspan=2\|League Cup !colspan=2\|Other !colspan=2\|Total
class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" \|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan=5\|Wolverhampton Wanderers \|1994–95 \|First Division \|6	0	0	0	0	0	1{{efn\|name=FDPO\|Appearance(s) in First Division play-offs}}	0	7	0
1995–96 \|First Division \|7	0	0	0	2	1	colspan="2"\|—	9	1
1996–97{{soccerbase season\|8720\|1996\|accessdate=9 May 2020}} \|First Division \|4	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	6	0
1997–98{{soccerbase season\|8720\|1997\|accessdate=9 May 2020}} \|First Division \|4	0	0	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	4	0
colspan="2"\|Total !21	0	0	0	4	1	1	0	26	1
Doncaster Rovers (loan) \|1995–96 \|Third Division \|13	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
rowspan=3\|Crewe Alexandra \|1997–98 \|First Division \|5	0	0	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	5	0
1998–99{{soccerbase season\|8720\|1998\|accessdate=9 May 2020}} \|First Division \|44	5	1	0	5	0	colspan="2"\|—	50	5
colspan="2"\|Total !49	5	1	0	5	0	0	0	55	5
rowspan=6\|Ipswich Town \|1999–00{{soccerbase season\|8720\|1999\|accessdate=9 May 2020}} \|First Division \|34	1	1	0	3	0	1{{efn\|name=FDPO}}	0	39	1
2000–01{{soccerbase season\|8720\|2000\|accessdate=9 May 2020}} \|Premier League \|37	2	2	1	7	0	colspan="2"\|—	46	3
2001–02{{soccerbase season\|8720\|2001\|accessdate=9 May 2020}} \|Premier League \|29	1	2	0	2	0	5{{efn\|name=UC\|Appearances in UEFA Cup}}	0	38	1
2002–03{{soccerbase season\|8720\|2002\|accessdate=9 May 2020}} \|First Division \|39	1	2	0	3	0	3{{efn\|name=UC}}	0	47	1
2003–04{{soccerbase season\|8720\|2003\|accessdate=9 May 2020}} \|First Division \|45	5	2	0	2	0	2{{efn\|name=FDPO

}||0||51||5

!colspan="2"|Total

!184!!10!!9!!1!!17!!0!!11!!0!!221!!11

|rowspan=3|Leeds United

|2004–05{{soccerbase season|8720|2004|accessdate=9 May 2020}}

|Championship

|35||3||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||37||3

|2005–06{{soccerbase season|8720|2005|accessdate=9 May 2020}}

|Championship

|3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0

!colspan="2"|Total

!38!!3!!1!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!40!!3

|Millwall (loan)

|2005–06

|Championship

|15||2||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||16||2

|Southampton (loan)

|2005–06

|Championship

|13||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||14||0

|rowspan=3|Southampton

|2006–07{{soccerbase season|8720|2006|accessdate=9 May 2020}}

|Championship

|42||1||2||0||2||0||0||0||46||1

|2007–08{{soccerbase season|8720|2007|accessdate=9 May 2020}}

|Championship

|36||0||3||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||40||0

!colspan="2"|Total

!91!!1!!6!!0!!3!!0!!0!!0!!100!!1

|Blackpool

|2008–09{{soccerbase season|8720|2008|accessdate=9 May 2020}}

|Championship

|3||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||4||0

!colspan=3|Career total

!414!!21!!17!!1!!32!!1!!12!!0!!475!!23

Honours

Ipswich Town

Football League First Division play-offs: 2000{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/768682.stm |title=Ipswich triumph at last |publisher=BBC News |date=29 May 2000 |accessdate=25 September 2019}}

Individual

Ipswich Town Players' Player of the Year: 2003–04{{Cite web | url = https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/6650/jamma-players-choice | publisher = twtd.co.uk (Those Were The Days) | accessdate = 25 March 2020 | date = 8 May 2004 | title = Jamma Players' Choice }}