The former Sunderland centre-back suffered suspected food poisoning before the 2022 play-off final at Wembley

Former Sunderland man Bailey Wright has detailed the bizarre circumstances surrounding his role in the club’s 2022 play-off final win - and the lengths Alex Neil and Kristjaan Speakman had to go to.

Wright played a crucial role in Sunderland’s promotion to the Championship, bringing leadership, resilience, and defensive solidity to Alex Neil’s Wembley-winning backline. The Australian international joined the Black Cats in January 2020, initially on loan from Bristol City, before making the move permanent later that year.

Wright arrived at the Stadium of Light at a time when Sunderland were fighting to escape League One, and his experience proved invaluable. The centre-back quickly became a key figure in the squad despite battling injuries early in his Sunderland career and became very much a fan favourite on Wearside.

Wright played a vital role in Sunderland’s promotion push during the 2021-22 season and was instrumental in the club’s play-off campaign, delivering a series of assured performances that helped secure a return to the Championship after four years in the third tier. The defender was superb over two legs against Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals.

The centre-back also started for Sunderland at Wembley in the League One play-off final at Wembley against Wycombe Wanderers, despite suspected food poisoning. Speaking during a recent podcast appearance, Wright detailed the extreme lengths head coach Neil and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman had to go to in order to ensure his attendance at Wembley.

“I got food poisoning,” Wright told Ha’way The Podcast. “I think it was food poisoning. Anyway, I woke up 3am and I was throwing up. It was coming out of me all different angles and I was in a real pickle, like proper feverish. And I was in bed and I remember thinking, this can't be happening. I don't need this now. And then I'd try to eat some food and I'd be gone again. And all I wanted to do was sleep. I felt weak. Didn't want to get up out of bed.

“So obviously in the morning called the club and they were like, what can we do? What can we do? So I didn't go to training that day. And then it was the Friday, the day before the game. Basically, they arranged for me, they said, look, we don't want you to trouble with the team because we don't want to spread potentially what you've got, if it's infectious or not.

“I think, so I turned up to the training ground, like let's say report time was 8.30am, but training was at 10am. I think I got there at like 9:50am and they were like, go to your car. We'll bring your training kit out. We'll bring you whatever you need, your bottle. So Steve brought it all out to me and I think Scotty did as well, my sports scientist, fitness coach. And they were bringing stuff out to me in the car and they're like, right, just keep your distance from the boys in training.

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“You're just going to do a little bit of the technical walkthrough and a little bit of set pieces and then go straight to your car and leave. Although everyone was getting lunch and massage and whatever and using the facilities, which were incredible and then flying. And then Kristjaan and the gaffer was like basically saying, how do you want to come to this game? Because we're going to make it happen as easy as possible.

“He goes, look, we can get you a helicopter or we can get your car all the way to London. What do you prefer? And he goes, because I know some people don't like helicopters. And I was like, sorry, excuse me. I've never been in a helicopter, but it sounds bloody scary. I'm like, I don't know, I start thinking, what if that thing goes down? And I'm relaxed. And I was like, but it's going to save me hours. So I was like, let's do the helicopter. So they were like, right.

“Kristjaan got in touch with me. He's like: ‘Look, I booked a helicopter. It's going to meet you at the driving range of the golf course near me’. So, I was like, all right, okay. So I drove my car there, parked at the driving range. And they'd shut down the driving range, helicopter landed. And then I run out to the helicopter, get on it. And then I fly all the way to basically the hotel in London. It was unbelievable. It was beautiful.

“The views! No word of a lie, I've got photos, flew over Wembley. It was like, yeah, this is where you'll be tomorrow. When I talk about manifesting, it was like, you were just getting this view of Wembley and like, wow, I'll be there tomorrow and I'll be making history there. Like this is meant to be, this is going to happen. So many little things like that just aligned. And then I got to the hotel and I got there well before everyone because they still hadn't even flown yet.

“Or they were in traffic from the airport to the hotel, whereas I got a helicopter right there. And then basically they said: ‘Look, you can't leave your room. Don't see anyone. Just order room service or we'll bring you your dinner. What do you want? This is what's on the buffet.’

“And I had staff bringing me food. I stayed in the room by myself. And it wasn't until pretty much the next morning is when I actually saw everyone and went to the meeting and then went to the game.”

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