Bradford City: 2018 freebie flopped miserably with the Bantams - View | OneFootball

Over the years, there have been many underwhelming Bradford City captains, many of whom fans are still confused about how the decision was made to hand the armband to such players.

On 31st May 2018, it was unveiled that the Bantams had signed a new midfielder on a two-year deal following the player's release from Southend United. At the time, on paper, Josh Wright seemed like a smart addition to the club with his experience in the lower divisions, something the club needed at the time.

However, things didn’t quite work out for Wright at Bradford, and let’s take a look at why.

Wright signed for the club under Greg Abbott, the former head of recruitment who also played for Bradford between 1982 and 1991.

Abbott stated at the time: “He can grab you a goal, but he can also do the other side of the game - he can get about the pitch, and he can tackle.”

Wright was given the captaincy during lead up to the first game of the 2018-19 season against Shrewsbury Town, a game in which the Bantams pulled off a 0-1 win, thanks to a 19th-minute Jack Payne goal.

Performances on the pitch were not great during the season's early stages, and rookie manager Michael Collins was under pressure. Fans were unhappy with the tactics on the pitch and the performances of certain players, including Wright, who was booed on several occasions by the Bradford supporters.

Following Collins' dismissal in September, David Hopkin, another former player for the club, was announced as the new manager. However, Wright struggled under Hopkin's leadership.

Alongside teammates at the time, Alex Jones and Joe Riley, Wright was told to find a new club and was dropped by Hopkin for five months.

Hopkin said then: "Josh, Alex and Joe have not been in the squads recently because we’ve put players in who can cover other positions. They’ll be free to find clubs.”

It wasn’t until Hopkins was sacked in February and replaced by Gary Bowyer that Wright would wear the famous claret and amber shirt again.

Wright was brought back in the first-team fold, but it was a little too late for Wright to have any real input on Bradford’s survival that season, as the club were already nine points from safety when the midfielder started his first game in five months in a 3-2 loss to Bristol Rovers.

The following match against Coventry City was when the Bantams were relegated to EFL League Two with three games left to play. Wright never played on the winning side for the club for the rest of the season, with the only win coming against Scunthorpe United, where Wright was an unused substitute.

Wright only made 22 appearances for the club in all competitions. His limited appearances, despite being the captain of the club, speaks volumes, considering it's believed that injuries were not a factor.

Overall, Wright signifies a season in which the Bantams were relegated and didn’t really put up much of a fight, which summarises the midfielder's time at the club.

Although Wright had shown promise before joining the club, he seemed to be unable to perform the basics of football, plus his lack of commitment on the pitch and poor performances saw the fans unfortunately turn on him. Although not condoned, it's clear why the fans decided to boo their own captain.

Life after the Bradford for Josh Wright

After leaving Bradford, Wright would go on to be the last signing of Justin Edinburgh at Leyton Orient before his sudden passing at the age of 49.

Wright joined up with reality star brother Mark Wright at Crawley Town after leaving Leyton Orient. The club signed the older Wright brother, Mark, after the TV personality featured positively in numerous charity football matches broadcast on TV.

The former Bantam Wright then dropped down to the National League South with Billericay Town before joining his current club, Ebbsfleet United.

Wright achieved promotion with the Fleet and helped the club avoid relegation on the final day of the National League 2023-24 season in a 0-0 draw with Boreham Wood.

Wright has since commented on his time at the club. He said: “Some of the stuff being bandied about frustrates me. I’ll live with that but I feel I was a scapegoat.”

Although it is no secret that things behind the scenes at the club during that time were toxic, mainly due to Edin Rahics' involvement at the club, Wright didn't deliver on the pitch for the club, and now, looking back, could these problems in the background be a contributing factor as to why it never worked out for Wright at Valley Parade? I guess we may never know.