It might not be compared to his last season’s FA Cup heroics, but USMNT international Haji Wright once again came to Coventry City’s rescue in the Championship. Unlike Brenden Aaronson’s strike last week, Wright’s 96th-minute goal secured all three points for the Sky Blues against Oxford United.
He had to wait until November to consolidate a starting spot in his debut season in England. Since then, Wright emerged as a key player for the promotion hopefuls. Consequently, Haji Wright is inching toward a bigger move following his success in the Championship.
In an interview with CBS Sports’ Morning Footy crew, Wright addressed the expectations of playing on grand stages. The 26-year-old attacker hit double-digit league goals in the past three seasons.
When asked about his hopes for a major career upgrade, Wright iterated that it’s every player’s dream to play in the Premier League and Champions League. As a goal scorer in the World Cup knockout stage, he already experienced a big stage.
Coventry’s dramatic FA Cup run was another memorable anecdote for the Los Angeles native. In the semi-final against Manchester United, Wright scored a 95th-minute equalizer from the penalty spot as Cardiff City came from three goals behind to force extra time.
Unfortunately for the Championship outfit, he was marginally offside when assisting Victor Torp for what could have been a sensational winner. Mark Robins’ side lost on penalties, but the match went down as one of the best in the modern history of the cup competition.
It’s the winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time against Wolves that has a special place for Wright, however. He picked the goal that sent Coventry City to the FA Cup semifinal as his favorite. For his part in the club’s best cup run since 1986/87, he quickly became a fan favorite at Coventry Arena.
The knack for scoring crucial goals is a certainty with Wright. As a substitute, he scored an injury-time brace for USMNT in the Nations League semi-final against Jamaica. But he only saw 10 minutes of action in the recent Copa America. The decision to bring Mauricio Pochettino in place of Gregg Berhalter will motivate the players who lacked minutes under the long-serving coach.
There was also a goal set by Wright and his club teammates ahead of another grueling Championship season. Coventry missed out on a playoff spot last term. Wright believes the club can aim for the automatic places this time around.
Wright also openly discussed his desire to play more assists to his teammates this season. In that respect, he had a solid partnership with the overlapping fullback Milan van Ewijk on Friday.
As opposed to his time as a prolific striker in Turkey, Wright now plays from the left flank. That versatility will also help his cause to join a top-five European club for the first time since 2018/19. Fellow American Josh Sargent is linked with a move to MLS outside of interest from Premier League. Meanwhile, Haji Wright only sets his target at the pinnacle of the sport.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
