D’MARGIO HAS THE WRIGHT STUFF FOR FAMOUS FAMILY
IAN Wright and Shaun Wrightphillips have been to Stoke City to see the next generation of their family try to make their senior football breakthrough.
D’margio Wright-phillips joined Stoke City from Manchester City in January hoping to follow his dad and grandad into the professional game – and the Premier League.
The 20-year-old winger has given glimpses of his potential with Kevin Russell’s under-23s and trained with the first team during pre-season, joining Michael O’nell’s squad for a training camp in Northern Ireland.
A film, made for Barclays as part of Black History Month, covered his progress and hopes – as well as worries about everything from pressure and an eye-catching celebration to racism.
It starts with Wright Sr, now 57, joining his son Shaun,
39, driving to Clayton Wood, saying: “One of the things that I worry about most in my life at the moment is D’margio and how he’s getting on.
“It’s nice that we’re going up to Stoke.
“Stoke, obviously because my grandson’s there are one of my favourite teams in the whole world. I’m loving Stoke, man.”
He added: “I think about it all the time. The pressure of a grandad, a dad, an uncle all playing in the Premier League. Dad, grandad won the Premier
League. Now people are seeing what’s happening with him.”
Wright-phillips Sr had experienced something similar about 20 years ago.
“I’m more on the positive side,” he said. “I just told him the same thing you told me: ‘Don’t worry about the pressure, we are different players and you will create your own path.’”
The pair watched training from the sidelines before taking Wright-phillips Jr to Trentham Gardens for a walk and hot chocolate – and a grilling about scoring in training, improving his left foot and that back flip goal celebration.
“I saw my grandson scoring against Arsenal (for Blackburn in an FA Youth Cup game). I kind of almost welled up a little bit. I started to feel, oh my gosh it’s happening again,” said Wright.
“Then he did this celebration. When I phoned him to ask what he was doing. It was this spin round, jump up, somersault.
“My celebrations didn’t have the capability of breaking my back and falling on my neck.”
The trio talked about role models, with Wright highlighting Cyrille Regis and Laurie Cunningham breaking barriers for black players. Wright-phillips Sr idolised his dad – and Paul Merson.
Wright-phillips Jr looks up to Eden Hazard and Raheem Sterling, his old clubmate at Man City.
“Sterling scores goals and they’re ones that matter,” said D’margio. “He’s done phenomenal for the past three, four years in his position. That’s what I can kind of relate to and off the pitch he’s such a nice guy and genuine and he’s always working hard. That’s what kind of drove me.
“I trained with him a couple of times and learned a few things off him – and that’s why my left foot’s better.”
Sterling and Marcus Rashford, it was pointed out, have also helped to change the way people think and write about black players.
Both Wright and Wrightphillips Sr had been subjected to racist abuse while they were playing and Wright was fascinated to hear about how the current Stoke changing room is aware of the problem in 2021.
D’margio said: “They’re more aware of it, they still know it’s going on and if it did happen during a game they would come to support us.
“If I wanted to walk off the pitch they’d follow me or they would support me during the game depending on how the person is feeling.”
Wright knew from videocalling his grandson during the summer that Wright-phillips Jr had been buzzing to be involved with O’neill’s senior plans during pre-season.
“Coming back into normal training with the 23s deflated me a little bit,” said the youngster.
“But all the season, it was good overall. It’s frustrating bouncing from the first team back to the 23s.”
Wright was asked if all this made him feel old and said: “It’s a legacy… man’s just got to stop doing this stupid celebration!”