HANOVER, N.J. – He’s never been one to talk about personal accolades. Perhaps that’s why Bradley Wright-Phillips could only laugh when congratulated on his latest accolade.
“What award are we talking about? Player of the Week? Oh, yeah. Thank you.”
Notching a brace against New York City FC, the award was well deserved, but Wright-Phillips was more concerned with the team, as usual.
“These kind of things are good to hear—you know that you played alright—but they don’t do anything for the team,” he said. “You can get that and lose the game, so I’m just happy with the way we played.”
Of course, those personal accolades are starting to add up, as the Englishman continues to etch his name alongside all-time Red Bull greats.
Notching his 50th goal on Saturday afternoon, Wright-Phillips stands just one goal behind Thierry Henry and eight goals behind Juan Pablo Angel.
“To be associated with those kind of players, you’re doing something right,” he told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “I still got a few more goals to get, and God willing it happens. It’s a nice thing to achieve.”
For those who know him best, his latest achievement comes at little surprise. Going back a long way, Lloyd Sam never had much doubt in his teammate’s ability.
“I’ve known about him for a long time since when we played with the U-19s together in the England team. That was a long time ago,” he said. “It doesn’t surprise me that much, I see it every day in training. It’s just nice to see him get more goals, and against that team especially. It’s great to see him hit 50.”
Rising through the ranks, Wright-Phillips has hardly found success by accident. Never the most physically imposing player, the forward has always found a way to get the job done.
He has quality; you can see it in the different kind of goals he can score,” head coach Jesse Marsch said. “It’s hard to do one particular thing to shut him down because he can beat you with speed, cleverness, he can finish from distance, he’s good with his head; he’s a complete striker. He just fits what we do perfectly.”
But more than his work on the field, Marsch was quick to point to the kind of person Wright-Phillips is off the pitch. Tireless and modest in his efforts, Wright-Phillips rightly stands alongside the greats as he continues his ascension.
“Brad is an amazing person,” Marsch added. “He’s one of the most humble, big-time players I’ve ever been around. His work ethic is unparalleled for a player who plays his position in this league.
“I always go back to the kind of guy he is. That’s what impresses me more than anything. That’s what’s helped him to elevate himself.”
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW YORK RED BULLS EMAIL NEWSLETTER
By submitting the information above, you hereby consent to receive additional information from Major League Soccer, its Clubs, Soccer United Marketing and its marketing partners in accordance with MLSsoccer.com
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Service
.
