Frank Lampard praised for key Haji Wright position adjustment as USMNT striker is advised to stay & 'be the man to get Coventry City to the Premier League'

Los Angeles native Wright joined Coventry in the summer of 2023 for a club-record £7.7 million ($10m) fee. They would be able to get much more than that for the 27-year-old frontman were they to open themselves up to a sale.

That is because the versatile forward has netted 40 goals for the Sky Blues through 97 appearances. Said return is made all the more impressive when taking into account that he was regularly deployed on the left wing by former manager Mark Robins.

Wright has been moved down the middle by current club boss Frank Lampard, leading to him sitting third in the 2025-26 Championship Golden Boot race. His eye for goal, alongside notable physical qualities, have brought him to the attention of clubs across Europe.

Ex-Coventry star Morrison admits that Wright has got a bit of everything - telling GOAL while speaking in association with Freebets.com, the home of best casino sites: “He’s good. This is what I’m saying about Frank Lampard. Mark Robins was playing Haji Wright off the left, now Frank is playing him through the middle. That is where he looks better.

“He can cause problems - he can run in behind, score all kinds of goals. He’s a big target man, wins his headers, so I think he’s a problem. He wasn’t fit last year, they did miss him for a few months and that hindered Coventry. The way that he’s playing at the moment, he’s a handful. That’s credit to Frank Lampard. I do rate Haji Wright. He wants to have a good season because it’s a World Cup year and he wants to get into that America squad.”

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A home World Cup in 2026 is providing added incentive for Wright. He will be determined to form part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans at that tournament. Regular game time will be required in order to catch the eye.

With that in mind, as Coventry top the second-tier table in England, Wright has been urged to shun any advances that may be made in January. Instead, he has been told to stay put and fire the Sky Blues back into the big time after a 25-year absence.

Morrison added on Wright being destined to grace the Premier League at some point: “I think he can get there. There will be interest but I think he will stay at Coventry City. If he is going to play in the Premier League, it will be with Coventry.

“There will be interest from other clubs due to his record in the Championship, but at the moment it is a difficult one because if you go to the Premier League, he might not get the game time he wants. If he stays with Coventry City, he has got a good chance of getting promoted. If you get that on your CV and you are the man to get them to the Premier League, you will be playing at that level next season anyway.”

Morrison is not the first to suggest that Wright’s career path will pass through the Premier League. Another ex-Coventry forward, Matt Jansen, told GOAL recently when asked if the United States international is ready to compete at that level: “He has eight [Championship] goals this season, USA international, good player. You can never say you are going to succeed in the Premier League until you get there.

“We will get a glimpse of that in the World Cup when he is up against world-class defenders, whether he can handle that. He is certainly doing a fantastic job for Coventry at the minute. Time will tell, if they go up, whether he can produce the same in the Premier League. If I was a betting man, I would bet that he would.”

Coventry sit five points clear at the top of the Championship table through 15 games this season. They have suffered just one defeat - to the Wrexham side backed by Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac - and will return to action on November 22 when playing host to West Midlands rivals West Brom.

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