Shaun Wright-Phillips thinks Man City can do it again this season

Football

Published: 07 Nov. 2022, 17:11

Shaun Wright-Phillips thinks Man City can do it again this season

Shaun Wright-Phillips talks to Manchester City fans on Sunday at SJ Kunsthalle in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB]

Manchester City legend Shaun Wright-Phillips, visiting Korea on Monday during a Premier League trophy tour, says he strongly believes the club will defend their title this season.

Wright-Phillips arrived in Korea Saturday as part of a multi-country tour with the Premier League trophy, which is currently in Man City's possession after the club won the 2021-22 season. While the club has visited Korea three times, in 2018, 2019 and now, this marks Wright-Phillips' second trip here.

"I started in Germany, Korea is my middle one and we’ve got one to do after," Wright-Phillips said on Monday during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily.

"The tour has always been amazing, people have always been warm. This is my second time I have chosen to come back to Korea so that obviously says I love it here as well.

"I appreciated not only the turnout in 2019, but just how friendly and warm everybody was. This year, we had 10 to 20 people that came before that are now grown up so it’s nice to see that through the City fans."

Shaun Wright-Phillips poses in front of the Premier League trophy on Sunday at SJ Kunsthalle in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB]

After first debuting for City in 1999, Wright-Phillips went on to play a key role in the club's promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2001-2 season.

"To get a chance to play in the Premier League, especially as a kid growing up playing football on the concrete and on grass with no goal, just trees and bikes that act as goal posts, and obviously get scouted and eventually make it in to City's first team — that was a long journey in itself and the Premier League is at the top of that journey," Wright-Phillips said.

"So to get this is hard as an achievement for a professional player. Often it is more about consistency and hoping that you are playing well enough to be in a team to win in the Premier League or, in some cases, like in my situation, I moved to another club at the time and won the Premier League.

"All that hard work that I did I think it paid off. For me, the Premier League, since I was a kid, was the best league possible in the world and it is right now. To win that is not only the hardest thing, but is a massive achievement."

Shaun Wright-Phillips poses with a young Manchester City fan on Sunday at SJ Kunsthalle in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB]

Over two stints with Man City, Wright-Phillips made a total of 177 league appearances scoring 34 goals in total. Also playing for Man City in the FA Cup, the Football League Cup and the EUFA Cup as well.

"To put it in short terms, Man City is effectively my second family," said Wright-Phillips.

"My mum has always said that it's your home away from home. I left home at 16 years old and moved to Stockport to play for Manchester City at the time and it's just been a part of my life since then. The fans used to come and see us train at the old training grounds and they would come to all the youth team games, reserve team games and I've kind of just grown up as a City fan from that day."

Man City is currently No. 2 in the Premier League standings with 10 wins, two draws and only one loss. They are two points behind top club Arsenal. Despite being one short of the top spot, Wright-Phillips thinks that City has got what it needs to power through to another season win.

"I just think that they've got that resilience," Wright-Phillips said.

"Even though they have drawn some games, even in those games, I have not seen them play badly, I thought they played well. They have controlled pretty much all their games, whoever they have come up against, even if they have conceded goals. They scored a lot of goals, as you can see, 20 plus goals in the Premier League this year, so early in the season.

"The team that we have got to watch out for and be respectful of is Arsenal because they are playing fantastic. They made Chelsea yesterday night look very average to be honest with you. So I think right now they are our biggest contenders and I think over the long course of the season, City will have a bit more than them because we've been at this battle with Liverpool for the last three or four years.

"I think City will have a bit more experience on that end. I think we have the qualities upfront, even when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net when needed."

Shaun Wright-Phillips, right, watches a young Manchester City fan play the ball on Sunday at SJ Kunsthalle in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB]

Wright-Phillips also pointed out some key players that stood out to him this season.

"[Erling] Haaland hit the ground running, so has [Julián] Álvarez," Wright-Phillips said.

"I think [Manuel] Akanji, he's been playing out of position sometimes right back, he's been tremendous, and when he's playing center-back he's been even better. I think Sergio Gómez, when he's come on he's slotted in. But the players you really have to watch out for are, I think, [João] Cancelo, [Phil] Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo.

"Then you have Rodrigo, who does one of the greatest jobs I've seen in the Premier League in his position but nobody really notices him because he's not in the attacking front. They are massive players."

Korea is the ninth stop that City has made with the trophy and the penultimate destination on the tour. The final stop is in Japan later this week.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]