Joe Wright (footballer, born 1995)
Footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Harris Wright (born 26 February 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Bradford City. He is a former Wales under-21 international.
|
Wright in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Harris Wright[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 26 February 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Monk Fryston, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bradford City | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2013 | Huddersfield Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2016 | Huddersfield Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Accrington Stanley (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2016–2021 | Doncaster Rovers | 129 | (4) |
| 2022–2025 | Kilmarnock | 91 | (10) |
| 2025– | Bradford City | 27 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 2015 | Wales U21 | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 28 April 2026 | |||
He was originally a professional with Huddersfield Town in England and has played for English clubs Accrington Stanley (on loan) and Doncaster Rovers.
Born in England, Wright has represented Wales at Under 21 level.
Club career
Huddersfield Town
Wright joined Huddersfield Town at under-16 level in September 2010, and signed his first professional contract with the club in 2013.[3] Wright featured on the bench for the Terriers in February 2015, before securing a further one-year contract to keep him at the club until June 2016.[4]
Accrington Stanley (loan)
In the summer of 2015, Wright signed for Accrington Stanley on loan until January 2016 and made his professional debut against Luton Town in August as a substitute for Adam Buxton.[5][6]
On 5 January 2016, Wright's loan deal was extended until the end of the season.
Doncaster Rovers
Following the conclusion of the 2015–16 season, Wright joined recently relegated Football League Two side Doncaster Rovers.
On the final day of the 2020–21 season, Wright damaged both his knee and ankle after falling awkwardly, the injury expected to rule him out for a period of up to nine months.[7] Following the injury, it was confirmed that the club had been unable to reach an agreement with Wright with regards to a new contract and he would be departing the club, although Rovers would continue to offer him recovery and rehabilitation.[8]
Kilmarnock
On 13 July 2022, after a year without a club, Wright joined Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock on a one-year deal,[9] having also had a trial with Heart of Midlothian.[10]
In his debut season, Wright made 44 appearances across all competitions, scoring 5 goals. Notably, he scored twice in a 2–3 home defeat to Livingston on 4 November 2022 and added goals against Aberdeen and Rangers later in the season. His performances contributed to Kilmarnock's 10th-place finish in the Scottish Premiership, he extended his stay with the club by signing a two-year contract, keeping him at Rugby Park until June 2025.
Wright continued to be a key figure in the 2023–24 season, making 32 appearances and scoring 3 goals. He found the net in league matches against Hibernian on 16 September 2023, Dundee on 30 December 2023, and St Johnstone on 13 April 2024. His contributions helped Kilmarnock secure a 4th-place finish, earning qualification for the UEFA Europa League.
In the 2024–25 season, Wright has made 36 appearances across all competitions, scoring 2 goals. A highlight of the season was his decisive goal in the UEFA Europa Conference League on 15 August 2024, where he scored the only goal in a 1–0 away victory against Tromsø IL, securing a 3–2 aggregate win and advancing Kilmarnock to the play-off round against FC Copenhagen.[11]
Bradford City
On 6 June 2025, Wright agreed to join newly promoted League One side Bradford City on a two-year deal.[12][13]
He made his first appearance for the Bantams in the opening game of the 2025/26 EFL League One season in a 2–1 victory against Wycombe Wanderers.[14][15]
Wright scored his first goal for the club on 30 August 2025 as the opener in a 3–2 win against fellow newly promoted side AFC Wimbledon.[16]
International career
Wright has represented the Wales national under-21 football team.[17]
Career statistics
- As of match played 1 January 2026
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Huddersfield Town | 2014–15[18] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Accrington Stanley (loan) | 2015–16[19] | League Two | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 2016–17[20] | League Two | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| 2017–18[21] | League One | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[22] | League One | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 18 | 2 | |
| 2019–20[23] | League One | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[c] | 1 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2020–21[24] | League One | 31 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 39 | 2 | |
| Total | 120 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 148 | 5 | ||
| Kilmarnock | 2022–23[25] | Scottish Premiership | 35 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 5 |
| 2023–24[26] | Scottish Premiership | 29 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
| 2024–25[27] | Scottish Premiership | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[e] | 0 | 36 | 2 | |
| Total | 92 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 112 | 10 | ||
| Bradford City | 2025–26[15] | League One | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 21 | 2 |
| Career total | 248 | 16 | 18 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 303 | 17 | ||
- Includes FA Cup, Scottish Cup
- Includes EFL Cup, Scottish League Cup
- Appearances in the EFL Trophy
- Appearances in the EFL League One Play-offs
- 2 appearances in UEFA Europa League, 4 appearances in UEFA Conference League