Darren Wright (footballer, born 1968)

Darren Wright
Personal information
Full name Darren James Wright[1]
Date of birth (1968-03-14) 14 March 1968 (age 56)[2]
Place of birth West Bromwich, England[2]
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3]
Position(s) Left-back
Youth career
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1986 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (0)
1986–1991 Wrexham 110 (4)
1991–1992 Worcester City
1996–1998 Cheltenham Town
1998–1999 Stafford Rangers
Halesowen Town
Managerial career
2016 Panjab
2018– Kernow
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:48, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

Darren James Wright (born 14 March 1968) is an English former footballer who played as a defender. Originally a centre-back in his youth, he played professionally at full-back.[4] He is the current head coach of the Kernow football team in Non-FIFA football.

Playing career

Wright would get his start at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club he supported, playing for their second team whilst still in school,[4] however he would only make one senior appearance for the club – an away match at Plymouth Argyle.[2]

In 1986 he would sign for Wrexham, where he would make 110 appearances in 4 years,[2] winning Young Player of the Season in both the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons.[5]

His Wrexham and fully professional career would come to an end through cruciate and cartilage damage in his knee, sustained in a match with Doncaster Rovers in a 50/50 challenge with forward Mark Rankine.[4]

After his recovery, he would move to non-league football with Worcester City, spending a year at the Worcestershire club.[1]

He would then move to Cheltenham Town, where, during his two-year spell there he would win promotion from the Doc Martens league to the Conference, and the FA Trophy.[4]

After Cheltenham, he would move to Stafford Rangers before ending his career at Halesowen Town.[4]

Coaching career

After football, Wright would hold many coaching jobs, including senior team coach at Rushall Olympic, assistant manager at Continental Star and coaching youths at Wolverhampton Wanderers.[4] He managed Panjab in 2016, taking them to the final of the 2016 ConIFA World Football Cup. In 2018 he took charge of the first Kernow football team.

Personal life

During a charity game he played for Wrexham Veterans against Mold Alexandra on 12 July 2014, Wright suffered a heart attack.[6] He made a full recovery and was still playing charity matches in 2015.[4]

Honours

Individual

Wrexham

  • Young Player of the Season: 1987–88, 1988–89

Team

Cheltenham Town

References

  1. ^ a b "Darren Wright". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Darren Wright". Neil Brown. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  3. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 404. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Made Of The Wright Stuff How Darren Bounced Back From Molineux Rejection". Charlie Bamforth. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Young Player of the Season". Wrexhamfan.wordpress.com. August 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Former Wrexham FC star recovering after suffering heart attack in charity game". Steve Bagnall. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2018.