Alan Geoffrey Wright (born 28 September 1971 in Ashton-under-Lyne) is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Sheffield United.
He has played 458 League games for six clubs, including a six year spell for Aston Villa. He has also played for Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Middlesbrough and most recently on loan at Derby County.
His position is left back, and he is famous for being the shortest player in Premier League history standing at only 5 feet 4 inches tall. His chant with the Derby fans was to the tune of ‘feeling hot hot hot’ replacing it with ‘Alan Wright Wright Wright’, a play on a similar chant used at Arsenal for Highbury favourite Ian Wright. He remains a popular figure with Aston Villa fans.
Humble Beginnings
Wright began his career as a trainee at Blackpool, for whom he made 91 appearances between April 1989 and October 1991. The New Blackburn manager Kenny Dalglish noticed Wright, and brought him to Ewood Park for Pound400,000. He spent 4 years at Ewood park, but thanks to the arrival of England left back Graeme Le Saux, made only 67 appearances for the club, seven as a substitute. He was, however, part of the Blackburn squad that won the Premiership in the 1994-95 season.
Aston Villa Years
Wright was signed from Blackburn Rovers for the fee of Pound1,000,000 in the summer of 1995, brought to the club by then Villa manager Brian Little. Wright made an immediate impact, appearing in the team for their opening day home victory over Manchester United.
His first goal for Aston Villa came later that season against Middlesbrough, opening the scoring in a two goal victory on New Years Day 1996, in which Wright was also in a defence that kept a clean sheet. Wright scored one other goal that season, rounding off the scoring in a 3-0 home defeat of Leeds United. Wright was also part of the Aston Villa 1996 League Cup winning side, beating Leeds once again, this time at Wembley.
In the 1996/97 season, Wright scored only once, this time against Wimbledon, scoring the second in a 2-0 win. Despite playing in the majority of the fixtures in the 1997/98 season, Wright failed to find the net. He appeared in the Aston Villa side that lost the 2000 FA cup final to Chelsea.
With the emergence of the younger J Lloyd Samuel from the Villa academy, he transferred to Middlesbrough for free in August 2003.
Wright the Blade
Wright appeared only twice for Middlesbrough, one a 4-0 reverse at home to Arsenal, before being loaned out to Championship side Sheffield United on the 31st October 2003, signing for them permanently on the 12th January 2004.
Playing in the Championship, Wright continued his impressive disciplinary record (never sent off to date) and was also part of the Sheffield United side that upset Aston Villa 3-1 in the 3rd round of the FA cup in the 2004-05 season.
He was loaned out to Derby County during the 2005-06 season, making seven appearances before his loan spell ended with torn hamstring against Millwall. In May 2006, Wright was placed on the transfer list by the Sheffield United manager, Neil Warnock.