HE slipped into Ibrox, that increasingly exclusive club of disparate
internationalists, almost unnoticed. No fanfare, no hype. Stephen
Wright's arrival mirrored perfectly his nature.
Quiet and unassuming, Wright is easily the type who could find himself
submerged and then lost among the many egos and characters who make up
the new Rangers.
The former Aberdeen defender, who was signed for #1.5m, will be 24 the
day before Rangers move into European action next week, and he will have
to assert himself around Ibrox. Wright must accept this opportunity to
take the step from solid journeyman to genuine craftsman, and to do so
he may have to come out of his shell and make his presence felt more
than he has managed so far in his career.
When he broke into Aberdeen's first team he turned heads with his
reading of the game and his speed, but as with most emerging talents his
development stalled and, for the past couple of seasons, he was in
jeopardy of stagnating. Aberdeen's decline and, of course, personal
injury did not help his cause, but there were times when it appeared as
though he was all too content with his lot.
In fact, too many of Aberdeen's younger players appeared to be
hampered by a similar affliction, but at least Rangers have pulled
Wright from what could have been described as a cosy, safe job and given
him the chance to go forward. Probably their interest was pressed home
just in time, because another season or two without the added stimulus
of being part of a truly large club and it might have been too late for
Wright.
Now life begins again for the full back, and provided that the player
Walter Smith believes lurks within Wright's slight frame can be teased
and tempted to emerge, he could become an exciting addition to what
again is beginning to look like a powerful squad.
While they wait for Paul Gascoigne to regain the sharpness of instinct
and reflex which carried him to superstardom, Rangers will shuttle their
full backs between a three and five-man defensive line, and Wright will
be allowed ample opportunity to demonstrate his skills and his worth to
the side.
He may have signed on the club's headed notepaper and he may wear the
club's tie and jacket, but that is merely superficial. He has to show
the manager and the fans that he does indeed have the right stuff.
Wright has already wasted too much time in self-satisfied mode when he
seemed content to play within himself, to do only the minimum, but that
won't be acceptable to Smith, who will demand everything his players
have to give as Rangers gear up to make an impression in Champions'
League football. Wright will find he must become more adventurous and
take a much greater part in matches.
After Rangers had beaten Steaua Bucharest 4-0 on Saturday, Wright
said: ''If I can do as well as David (Robertson) here, then I'll be a
happy man.''
Robertson and Wright were team-mates at Pittodrie and Wright could do
worse than take a close look at the other full back, who uses his
blinding speed to assist Rangers attacks and offer midfield players
options by surging through into dangerous positions. Wright, who also
has a fair turn of foot, has to make these runs also and become more
involved in what is happening in other parts of the pitch.
If he fails to do it at Ibrox, where he is surrounded by
internationalists, then he will not do it anywhere else.
Rangers want him to support forward plays and he will start the season
with that instruction. It is entirely up to the player now and he must
not become intimidated by the stature of some of those with whom he now
shares a dressing room.
Smith has had a problem at right back ever since Gary Stevens went
into decline, and after having tried such various players as Craig
Moore, Alan McLaren, John Brown, and Stuart McCall, the manager has
turned to Wright. Smith expects a great deal from the newcomer, who has
the chance to make himself an integral part of what is shaping up to be
a side of some style and panache.
Wright should be able to operate without the fear of leaving spaces
behind him should he venture forward, because Rangers will have Richard
Gough, McLaren, and Gordan Petric patrolling at the back. It should be a
formidable triumvirate and one which should give Wright the confidence
he needs.
Petric, who didn't play in Saturday's match, relishes the chance to
play against the best in Europe, although you would never know it to
look at him. He has one of those faces which registers neither despair
nor joy, but he can play a bit and the European game should suit his
style perfectly.
''A couple of clubs in England and one or two in Europe were after me,
but I have come here to a big club and now I have a big job in front of
me,'' he said. Someone asked if he felt he owed a debt of gratitude to
Ivan Golac, the former manager of Dundee United who signed him from
Partizan Belgrade, the 26-year-old thought long and hard before saying
''No.''
Petric is supremely confident in his own ability and pointed out: ''I
know how to play.''
Wright could learn from him also.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article