Bailey Wright addresses his shortened pre-season at Sunderland and World Cup hopes with Australia
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The 30-year-old centre-back had a shortened pre-season after winning promotion with the Black Cats via the play-offs, before helping Australia qualify for this year’s World Cup.
As a result of his international commitments, Wright returned later than the rest of Sunderland’s squad for pre-season but says that hasn’t hindered his preparations.
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Hide AdThe centre-back started every match following Alex Neil’s appointment last season and is likely to be called upon in the coming weeks, following an injury sustained by Sunderland team-mate Daniel Ballard.


“It's not been rushed at all,” Wright told the Echo when asked about his condensed pre-season.
“I would never have changed how things went for myself, not in a million years.
“Ideally you get a bit more of a break and get a bit of a chance to build in to come in but that wasn’t the case.
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Hide Ad“On a personal level a lot of things went really well for me but that’s in the past now, we’re focused on here and obviously my aim is to get myself prepared and to push for a shirt in the starting XI.
“The boys have done really well and you never know what an ideal pre-season is.
“One is playing and training every game and having those 90 minutes under your belt, that wasn’t quite the case for myself but it doesn’t mean I’m not fit and not prepared.”
After being recalled to the Socceroos squad last year, Wright has started Australia’s last three matches, including crucial qualifiers against United Arab Emirates and Peru in June.
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Hide AdAnd with a place in the World Cup squad up for grabs, Wright determined to perform for both club and country.
“It’s a funny one for me, of course I have that at the back of my mind,” Wright replied when asked about the World Cup.
“I just naturally know that if I look after myself and do well here things will take care of themselves.
“Of course there is a World Cup to look forward to but I’m looking forward to every game here and if I do that and that works well then hopefully things work out on the international front.”