10:30am Monday 22nd June 2009
By Matt Plummer
By his own admission, David Wright has unfinished business with the Premier League.
The Ipswich Town defender failed to show his potential during 18 months in the top-flight with Wigan Athletic.
And it’s a regret he desperately wants to put right as Roy Keane’s revolution gathers pace at Portman Road.
The Blues will be hotly tipped for promotion next season – partly because of their superstar manager and partly because of their multi-millionaire backer, Marcus Evans.
If they can achieve their goals and rejoin the elite, few players will be more thrilled or excited than dependable full-back Wright.
The 29-year-old was a major part of the Latics side that got promoted from the Championship in 2005.
However, the following year he was restricted to just two Premier League appearances and sent out on loan to Norwich.
The campaign after he played 12 times before moving to Portman Road in January 2007.
Now, preparing for what many expect to be a memorable season, Wright told the Gazette: “I’m particularly excited about it.
“Both for me personally and for the team, I’m desperate to get back in the Premier League.
“There’s no greater place to play.
“The fans deserve it and our ground would be absolutely bouncing.
“On a personal note, I didn’t achieve what I wanted to when I was in the Premier League with Wigan.
“I feel I’ve got unfinished business at that level and it really churns inside me.
“Team-wise we did great.
“No-one expected us to stay up, having got promoted, and yet we finished tenth and reached the Carling Cup final (before losing 4-0 to Manchester United).
“Then the season after we stayed up again.
“As a team we achieved a lot but as an individual I feel I missed out on a few things and want to put that right.”
Wright is desperate to rectify the errors of last season – mistakes that sparked feelings of anti-climax and under-achievement.
Town finished ninth, eight points off the play-off pace, and far better will be expected – make that demanded – from fans next season.
“I can’t wait to start putting right the wrongs of last year,” said Wright.
“Throughout my career I’ve always had a sense of achievement at the end of each season.
“At Crewe, it was all about staying in the Championship.
“Then at Wigan we got promoted and managed to stay in the Premier League.
“Like a few of the senior boys, though, we’ve all said that at the end of the last couple of years there’s been a real ‘down’ feeling.
“We haven’t achieved what we wanted to.
“Our big goal was to get promoted and we didn’t make it, so that was really disappointing.
“Now we’ve all got to pull together and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
While most of his team-mates relax on sun-kissed beaches, Wright has been back for a couple of weeks continuing his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Slowly but surely, he has been working his way back alongside other injured players Gareth McAuley, Jon Walters and Jordan Rhodes.
“It’s been very good so far,” said the Warrington-born defender, who had a holiday in Dubai.
“I’ve been back for the last fortnight or so, training three or four times a week, and we’ve been concentrating on ‘functional’ work.
“That means moving at three-quarter pace and lots of twisting and turning.
“I moved on to football work last week, which I was really looking forward to as I hadn’t kicked a ball for a couple of months.
“If everything goes well and we tick the boxes, then we’re ready to go when the other boys report back on July 2.
“It’s been good having the other three around.
“It can get a bit lonely, but the four of us have been working hard together, pushing each other on and keeping each other company.”
Far from the solitude of low-profile summer training sessions, a media circus is bound to follow Ipswich next season with the spotlight firmly fixed on Keane.
Wright understands and accepts his club’s new-found profile but, as a player, does not expect to get caught up in the frenzy.
“That’s the kind of thing the manager brings with him,” he said.
“I can definitely feel that he’s made an impact. There’s a special feeling around the place.
“I live next door to four season-ticket holders and they’re absolutely buzzing.
“The club and fans have got very high expectations and they’ve brought a manager in who only accepts the best.
“As players, though, we go out on the pitch and that’s all we concentrate on.
“We can’t and won’t get caught up in what’s happening off the pitch and hopefully, if we stay focused, we’ll be reaping the rewards next May.”
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