Wright in action at Vicarage Road during Spurs' 2-0 FA Youth Cup win over Watford

Youngster Wright, who will not celebrate his 19th birthday until January, has been one of the victims of Spurs’ penchant for making a series of signings on the left-hand side of defence and midfield. Despite a glittering youth team career with the North London outfit after joining Spurs from Charlton Athletic, he has now been allowed to seek pastures new.

During last season, Wright managed to make 22 appearances for the club’s Under-18 side after the academy system was re-jigged to make sure that the Under-19s and Under-17s were amalgamated. In fact, the previous year had seen the youngster captain the Under-17s, where he managed 26 appearances and 3 goals.

He featured heavily in the side that reached the semi-finals of the 2004/5 FA Youth Cup before succumbing to a very strong Southampton side. He told the official Tottenham website, www.spurs.co.uk, at the time, “Getting to the semi-finals [is] a brilliant experience, and it will be a dream we didn’t really expect.”

Wright, who was, like many Southend youngsters, with Norwich City before joining the Addicks, was aware even in March that he had been released, but still put in a sterling display. “It doesn’t really affect me,” the youngster declared. “I’ve just got to keep my head high, carry on and get other clubs watching me. The Youth Cup will help because a lot of people watch and it has helped my confidence playing in a winning side.”

It appears that Steve Tilson and Paul Brush were two of those people, and his former coach pat Holland was full of praise for the Englishman. “Mark Wright…[showed] that sort of attitude and [had] a fine game. That pleases me more than anything. He has done it all the right way and there is a lot to be said for that. Hopefully someone out there likes him and gives him a contract.”

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com