Today we announced the loan signing of Tyreik Wright from local club Aston Villa. The signing has sparked the interest of Walsall fans, as Wright comes with nothing but good words from the Villa faithful. So who is he? And what can we expect?
Wright is 19 years old, and plays as a right winger. He is left footed, so he will mirror Wes McDonald as a winger that can also cut in to their dominant foot. Wright has been a regular starter for Villa in their Premier League 2 campaign this season. In his 11 games, he has scored twice, and assisted twice too, and if he can continue that into League Two, then he will be a sure fire hit with fans. He has had a taste of men’s football, with 3 appearances in the EFL Trophy, where he bagged himself an assist.
His impressive record does not end there. Wright has been called up to represent the Republic of Ireland at Under 17, 18 and 19 level. He has a good return, scoring 8 and assisting 5 times in 25 games at all levels. This good record has seen him training with the Aston Villa First Team, and it is clear that Dean Smith thinks highly of him.
He is a player that is quick, creative and determined. Tyreik has already spoken on the clubs social media channels about how excited he is to have joined the club. I think he will bring a fresh energy to the team. As a natural right winger, it will mean that we finally have someone who won’t be a makeshift player ‘fitting in’. The squad will be balanced, and we have the option to change the formation up.
I am very happy with the signing. It is well documented that we do not have the money to buy players, or even sign free agents, but this is a signing that has ticked many boxes. In recent years, links with the clubs nearby have not been as profitable as we would have liked. Players have not performed, or even played, however I think Wright will be a regular starter. He will allow us to adapt between a 4-4-2, or 4-2-3-1, but more importantly, it means we have an out and out right winger to see us play in the 4-1-4-1 that was successful a few games ago.
