Bailey Wright

1.1. Youth Clubs and Development

Wright started his youth career at Langwarrin before playing a season each with Mornington and Dandenong Thunder. His promising talent was recognized, leading to his selection for the Victorian state team in 2007. He further refined his abilities with the Victorian Institute of Sport in 2008. In 2009, he returned to Langwarrin, where he made several senior league appearances, before moving overseas in July 2009. He signed a two-year scholarship contract with Preston North End after a prolonged clearance process.

2.1. Preston North End

During his first season with Preston North End, Wright predominantly played as a centre-half for the club's reserves and under-18 teams. In April, he was called up to the senior squad, sitting on the bench for a match against Coventry City. He made his senior debut at the start of the 2010-11 season in the first round of the League Cup, playing the full 90 minutes in Preston's 5-0 victory against Stockport County. On 13 December 2010, Wright signed a two-and-a-half-year professional contract.

Wright made his league debut for Preston on 5 March 2011 against Norwich City. He scored his first professional goal for the club on 7 April 2012 in a match against MK Dons. For the 2012-13 season, he was voted Preston North End's 'Young Player of the Year'. Following this recognition, on 1 May 2013, he was offered a new two-year contract, which included an option for an additional year. Wright achieved promotion via the play-offs with Preston in 2015, securing a 4-0 victory over Swindon Town at Wembley Stadium on 24 May 2015.

2.2. Bristol City

On 6 January 2017, it was announced that Wright had joined Bristol City for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. He made his debut the following day, 7 January 2017, in an FA Cup third-round tie against Fleetwood Town. Wright scored his first goal for Bristol City in a 1-1 draw with Norwich City on 7 March 2017. At the beginning of the 2017-18 season, he was appointed captain of Bristol City.

During his time at Bristol City, Wright featured as the club reached the semi-finals of the 2017-18 EFL Cup. Their journey included impressive wins over Premier League opponents such as Watford, Stoke City, Crystal Palace, and a notable victory against Manchester United. Bristol City ultimately lost in the semi-final tie against Manchester City. Wright was released by Bristol City at the end of his contract in July 2020.

2.3. Sunderland

Wright initially joined Sunderland on a six-month loan deal on 21 January 2020, while the club was in EFL League One. Following his loan spell, he signed a permanent two-year deal with Sunderland on 2 August 2020. He scored his first goal for Sunderland in a 2-2 draw with Rochdale on 27 October 2020.

On 1 July 2023, Sunderland announced Wright's departure from the club. During his tenure, he made 107 appearances in total and also served as club captain. He played a key role in Sunderland winning their first trophy since 1973, the 2020-21 EFL Trophy at Wembley Stadium. He also contributed to the club's promotion back to the EFL Championship for the 2022-23 season.

2.4. Rotherham United (loan)

On 31 January 2023, Bailey Wright joined fellow Championship club Rotherham United on a loan deal during the transfer deadline day. He made his debut for Rotherham United on 4 February 2023 in a goalless draw against Sheffield United.

2.5. Lion City Sailors

On 9 July 2023, Wright moved to Southeast Asia, signing a two-year contract with an optional one-year extension with Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors. He made his debut for the club on 11 July in a 1-3 defeat against DPMM. Upon his return from a red card suspension on 31 July, Wright scored a brace in a 5-2 victory over Tanjong Pagar United. In his first season with the club, he helped them secure the 2023 Singapore Cup with a 3-1 win over Hougang United on 12 September.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Wright changed his squad number from No. 3 to No. 26. He helped the club win the 2024 Singapore Community Shield with a 2-0 victory over Albirex Niigata (S) on 4 May 2024. During a 2024-25 AFC Champions League Two fixture against Indonesian club Persib Bandung on 24 October, Wright scored an equalizer after receiving a cross from Maxime Lestienne, resulting in a 1-1 away draw.

3.1. Youth National Team

Wright was part of the Australia U17 squad that reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 AFC U-16 Championship. The team narrowly missed a spot at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup after a 2-3 loss to the United Arab Emirates.

3.2. Senior National Team

Wright was selected by manager Ange Postecoglou as part of Australia's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Despite being included, he did not make any appearances during the tournament.

He made his Australia national team debut as a starter in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia at Craven Cottage in London on 8 September 2014. In his debut, Wright scored with a header, giving Australia a two-goal lead in what ended as a 3-2 victory. Wright was also called up for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, where he played in all three of the team's group stage matches.

He was included in the preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia but did not make it into manager Bert van Marwijk's final 23-man squad. Wright was later selected as part of Graham Arnold's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He made an appearance in the tournament as a substitute during Australia's final group stage fixture against Denmark on 30 November 2022.

4.1. Club Statistics

4.2. International Statistics