Haji Wright burst back onto the Coventry City goal scoring scene in emphatic style with a sublime hat-trick against play-off rivals Sunderland.
Eased back in after four months out with a serious ankle injury with a couple of cameos from the bench before his first 90 minutes (against Derby) since early November, the USA international went full circle when he tormented the Black Cats’ defence all over again, having helped the Sky Blues to a 2-2 comeback at the Stadium of Light earlier in the campaign when his season came crashing to a halt, stretchered off in the dying minutes.
“I’m happy to be back in the mix,” said the striker, whose return feels like a new signing at such an exciting time, with the team poised for one last push for the play-offs. It’s been a long time since I have been on the pitch with my team-mates so yeah, it feels good.”
Asked what happened on that fateful afternoon in the North East, the 26-year-old recalled: “It was a bit awkward, I kinda took a step and in that moment my foot got clipped and I landed on the outside of my ankle and put all my weight through that ankle, basically. And so I suffered ligament damage.”
Images captured the wincing moment his ankle buckled, but did he know straight away how much damage he’d done?
“Not initially,” he said. “We thought it was going to be long, but not four months, so it was disappointing when that news got delivered to me. But at the end of the day it is what it is and you can’t change the time frame on it.
“Originally they thought it was going to be six to eight weeks but when that time frame came we saw that it wasn’t healed all the way, or certainly enough to be back in the mix. It was just delayed until it felt strong enough for me to be back outside to run and kick a ball and take progressive steps forward.”
Asked if surgery was considered, he said: “No, I think it was after the first week that I got a scan and the specialist told me that I didn’t need surgery, so at that point I just knew it needed time to heal. I had to do three months worth of strengthening exercises on the ankle.”
That must have been mentally testing as well as hard, physically, being in the gym on his own?
“It was just me and the physios but towards the end Sheafo and Ephron came in with their injuries, unfortunately, but it was a bit frustrating in the beginning being by myself and away from the group,” he said. “But you just try to focus on the next task ahead and get through it.”
He added: “I am good at hiding my emotions, so you could say I am a good watcher from the sidelines and I do my best to keep it all inside.”
Wright’s absence coincided with the team’s incredible run of nine Championship wins out of ten that propelled the Sky Blues up the table and into firm play-off contention – a feat few foresaw, particularly without one of last season’s 19-goal scorers. Frank Lampard was also appointed during his time out and the new head coach often spoke about the quality he knew he had to come back.
Lampard had done his homework on Haji, as he had with all of his players when he first arrived, and while he set about sparking an immediate connection with each and every one in a bid to get the very best out of them, he also found time to get to know the man that just might give City the edge in the last eight games.
“Yeah, we had a few discussions while I was injured,” he said. “He’s a great person and manager and we all like him here. Since he has come in he has done an amazing job. I mean, there’s nothing not to like about the guy. He’s a great person, a great coach.
“And I’m sure he’s the right person to help me with my career.”
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