Shaun Wright-Phillips Bio Send To Friend  

After forging a reputation as one of the most exciting young talents in the English game, Wright-Phillips saw his career stall after a big money move to Chelsea. But the winger returned home to Manchester City in August 2008, hoping to return to his best form after spending much of his Stamford Bridge stay on the bench.

His pace, low centre of gravity, control, skill, agility and powerful striking of the ball make him potentially one of the best wingers in the Premier League. Able to play on either flank or in support of the striker, Wright-Phillips is a versatile midfielder who will attack all day.

The energetic, ambitious youngster made his mark with Manchester City in the early months of the 2000-01 season, with a number of lively displays catching the eye. But it wasn't until the 2003-04 campaign that he made his mark and saw him winning plaudits from many quarters. In March he earned his first full England call-up for the game with Sweden - but a calf injury ruined hopes of a debut and he had to wait until the game with Ukraine in August, when he scored an impressive goal late in the second half.

In 2004-05, he underlined his potential to be a star. Chelsea's £21m bid was too good to turn down and, after 31 goals in 181 appearances, he headed south to join the then Premiership champions. The tricky forward had marked his international bow against Ukraine in August of that season with a superb solo goal.

Wright-Phillips struggled to get into the team in the early months of the campaign and started only ten Premiership games in 2005-06, leaving some to question the merits of the move to Stamford Bridge. It was suggested he would have been better off at City continuing his footballing education, especially as he missed out on the 2006 World Cup.

But after a dismal start to 2006-07, he finally began to rediscover his form and confidence. Just when he seemed part of Jose Mourinho's plans at the start of 2007-08, the coach was sacked and he slipped from the picture, not even making the bench of the 2008 Champions League Final.

Wright-Phillips started just 43 Premier League games in three seasons with Chelsea before choosing to move back to Manchester City. He made a total of 125 appearances, though 62 of those were from the bench, and scored 10 goals.

City were delighted to recapture 'SWP' on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee - believed to be just £10m - with the player looking to rediscover his form. And he did just that, impressing vastly in his first season back with his old club.

The winger's international ambitions took off again and he played in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, forcing his way back into the reckoning for the 2010 World Cup by reminding Fabio Capello of his talent.