Shaun Wright-Phillips has shared his emotional torment during his move to Chelsea from Manchester City, revealing he was brought to tears by the move.
The 43-year-old, son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright, began his career at the Manchester City Stadium, now known as the Etihad. He quickly became a key player for the club and even earned his place in the England national team. However, his trajectory took a sharp turn when he was informed of his impending move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2005.
It was later revealed that Arsenal were interested in acquiring Wright-Phillips, whose departure from City was influenced by the club’s need to stabilize its finances. But before the Gunners could make their move, Chelsea made a £21million offer that City couldn’t refuse.
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“It’s strange. I cherished my time at City and loved the fans, but this transfer was something I hadn’t anticipated or wanted,” he expressed during an appearance on the Seaman Says podcast. “I was a naive young player who thought he would spend his whole career at City. Winning the Premier League hadn’t crossed my mind; I just enjoyed playing football. »
He added: “City were facing administration risk, a reality I was unaware of at the time. Initially, when the transfer talks started, I was adamant that I was happy and had no desire to leave. Arsenal had shown interest, but they decided to wait until January. Frankly, I didn’t care about a transfer; my heart was set on staying at City. I took their interest as a compliment and focused on improving my game.”
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“Then Chelsea came. I was informed that the deal had been accepted. Suddenly I found myself in a car on my way to London for a medical examination. I was in tears because I didn’t want to leave. It was only later that I found out they had to sell me because the club was in danger of going into administration. »
Wright-Phillips’ time at Chelsea proved to be quite successful, as he won the Premier League title in his first season and followed it up with an FA Cup victory the following year. He made 125 appearances for the club before returning to Manchester City in 2008.
Meanwhile, Arsenal opted for another young English winger in the summer of 2005. They invested in Theo Walcott, from Southampton, and the speedy winger flourished at the Emirates Stadium.
The trajectory of Wright-Phillips’ career could have taken a different turn had he not moved to Chelsea. He had joined City from Nottingham Forest’s academy in 1999 and quickly fell in love with the city, aspiring to build his career there.
The Wright family legacy continues with his son, D’Margio, who currently plays as a winger at Belgian club Beerschot after progressing through the ranks at Stoke City. The 23-year-old began his journey at City, spending six years in their youth academy, but eventually faced a transfer of his own.
