Born in
Tottenham, London, Wright initially played for
Essex outfit
Harwich & Parkeston, but by 1932 he had joined
Football League side
Charlton Athletic. Between 1932 and 1935, Wright made 38 league appearances, despite being understudy to
Sam Bartram as Charlton rose from the
Third Division to the
First Division. During the
1936–37 season, Wright played 28 times for
Aldershot as they finished bottom of the Football League. However, a fee of £2,500 saw him move to
Derby County for the following season, where he played 25 times. In the
war years, Wright played at
Layer Road, the ground of his future club
Colchester United alongside his future manager
Ted Fenton while playing for an
Eastern Command side. Wright signed for Essex rivals Colchester United on 11 July 1946. Despite playing 23 times for Colchester, the club initially decided to not retain Wright for the
1947–48 season, but a month later, a change of heart saw Wright re-sign. In his second season, he helped Colchester reach the fifth round of the
FA Cup, but within weeks of the beginning of the
1948–49 season, Wright had suffered an injury that saw him lose his place to Ken Whitehead. He made 69 appearances for Colchester in all competitions. ==International career==