Liverpool have always had a proud history of bringing local talent through the youth ranks and getting them into the first team.
Whether it be renowned stars like Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher, or other lesser known starlets who go on to have steady careers at other clubs, Anfield has always been a place to harness young talent. Today marks the birthday of one former Reds academy graduate.
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Wright turns 42 years old today (Wednesday). Growing up as an Everton fan from Bootle, Wright joined the Reds’ academy at a young age before being handed a youth contract in 1996.
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A year later he was made a professional, and from there his journey with Liverpool would begin. A senior debut would come in November 2000, and he would be part of the squad that won the treble in 2000/01 under Gerard Houllier.
Liverpool would then award Wright a three-year contract. But not even halfway into the deal, he would be heading for the exit door.
The summer of 2002 saw Wright sold to Sunderland for an initial £1.5m in a deal which could have risen to £3m. This came just after the controversial move for Abel Xavier from Everton.
After making 17 appearances the previous season, Wright had hopes of kicking on as a Liverpool player. But the exact opposite happened, after a surprise conversation with Houllier.
“It was a tough one, because I’d probably played my most games in that period,” Wright told the ECHO in March last year. “I always thought that if I kept playing well then he (Xavier) wouldn’t get in.
“I played a number of games and then I think Carra had a suspension against Ipswich Town where we won 5-0 away there. Abel Xavier played right-back and I played left-back.
“He (Xavier) scored that game and I always knew that no matter how well I played, I’d be the first to come away and I’d be off because he got a goal. That was the way it was, and I knew. I saw it before it happened, so it was tough to take that side of it.
“I’d signed a new contract with the club just that year, and then we went to Switzerland for pre-season. I remember getting off the flight and onto the bus, Gerard shouted me to the front and I didn’t know what he was going to say.
“He said ‘listen, the club have accepted a fee for you’. I looked at him and said ‘what does that mean for me?’ I didn’t know what to do.
“I’d never been anywhere else, this was my club. So he said we could have a chat the day after. I did not sleep, I spoke to my dad in the middle of the bus and told him what had happened and he didn’t know.
“I spoke to my agent and he said the club have accepted it but you don’t have to do anything about it. If you want to stay, speak to Gerard and find out a little bit more and ask any questions.
“I came in and Phil Thompson and Gerard Houllier were in the room, and they said: ‘The club had accepted a fee. You can speak to your agent, whatever way you want to do it. We’d love to keep you, we love you and love having you around the place'.
“So I asked the question ‘you’ve brought in a player from over the road in Xavier who's coming to the end of his career, is this the way this football club is going? I know you can never guarantee me games, but I just want to know where I stand’.
“Gerard just said that he (Xavier) was going to get more game time than I was. I was like ‘wow’, that was a big blow for me. From the season before, having one of my best seasons for the club, I just wanted to kick on from there.
“I wanted to play every single game for this football club, and then I get told that. It was tough to take.”
Sunderland ended up being Wright’s destination, but things could have gone differently. In fact, John Terry apparently tried to get the boyhood Evertonian to move to Chelsea.
Wright said: “I went to see Sunderland with my agent and there was a shed load of clubs that got to know about it as I was on the way, which was a big surprise to me.
“My agent told me that I’m a young lad coming through one of the biggest clubs, there’s going to be a lot of status for you.
“I think Chelsea, Newcastle, Everton, Fulham all wanted to know what’s going on. Telling me ‘don’t sign anything until you speak to us as well’.
“Coming through the England Under-18s and Under-21s with John Terry he was like ‘don’t sign anything, the Tinkerman (Claudio Ranieri) wants you. Speak to me before they make an offer’.”
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