Now we know where Richard Wright has been hiding!
We know he went to Arsenal, spent some time bench warming at Everton, turned down a stint in goal at Preston as it was too far from Ipswich but ended up as number 4 goalkeeper at Manchester City.
Well that is what we were told but as he never seemed to play, was this some sort of inside football cover up?
He has now officially left City but where is he now? His son played for the Reserves the other week – Harry putting in a good display, his grandfather (ex-Town player Geoff Hammond) was watching but no sign of Richard.
Is he in Italy, carrying Joe Hart’s wash bag? Or at Leiston where his school mate is manager? No one seems to know – that is till Newcastle United let one of football's best kept secrets out of the bag.
In the programme for the recent Newcastle – Ipswich match, the North East club did a feature/quiz about the two teams that played the last time we met at St James’s Park in 2000 - the quiz was called ‘The Name Game’ and there was a clue by the side of the 22 starting players.
For Newcastle their number one was Shay Given, the clue – ‘Still a Premier League player, was on Blackburn books when they won the title in 95’, the Newcastle number 8 had the clue – ‘I’m a celebrity .. Get me out of here’ - a certain Kieron Dyer.
On the Town side we had number 32: ‘Popular player, along with Nathan Blake, holds the record for the most relegations from the Premier League as a player – 5.’ Hardish clue, but it was Herman Hreidarsson.
But then we had the clue that let the secret out of the bag - Richard Wright was in goal for us that day and the clue?
‘Former Hibernian goalkeeper who fled England after refusing to take a drug test whilst at Torquay in 2005’
So was Richard ever even at Man City? Was he led astray by certain players at Arsenal or did he get on the wrong side of some Merseyside drug barons?
But it seems Richard has friends in high places, even after Newcastle let the secret out the national and local media have kept quiet – so if you see Richard let us know!
(A certain Oli Gottskalksson might be the player who Newcastle got confused with Richard.)
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