It remains one of football's great mysteries why Tony Adams was dropped without warning from the England reckoning around the period in which qualification for the 1990 World Cup was in progress, especially as he was proving to be an outstanding captain and leader in an Arsenal side set to win the league title. Meanwhile, Mark Wright was also suffering, largely through injury, but also through Bobby Robson's discovery of something new at the back. Terry Butcher was now benefitting from the arrival of the super-paced Des Walker, whose rawness complemented the ageing Butcher's more leggy but still inspirational presence in England's defence.
The two were untouchable and immovable as England qualified for the 1990 World Cup and Wright won his first cap in almost two years when he came on as a sub for Walker in a 4-2 friendly win over Czechoslovakia, a game remembered for cementing Paul Gascoigne and Steve Bull's places on the plane for Italy. For all his lack of activity on the international stage, Mark was still needed as back-up to Walker and Butcher, and Adams was not called back. In a direct contrast with the last World Cup campaign, Wright found himself going to the finals having taken no part at all in the qualifying contest. England opened with a 1-1 draw against the Republic of Ireland and Robson immediately decided to change the system, bringing Mark into the team as a third centre back alongside Walker's pace and Butcher's indelicacy, as next opponents Holland were known for a three-pronged strike force. The irony that Wright's last international start had come in the 1988 debacle against Holland was forgotten rapidly as his turn as a sweeper worked like a dream in a nervy but fascinating goalless draw. With Butcher rested for the final group game against Egypt, Wright took centre stage alongside Walker, mopping everything up with aplomb and then rising with expert timing to glance home Gascoigne's free kick and seal a 1-0 win.
His first England goal had taken his country into the second round, for which the sweeper system was re-deployed and Butcher returned. England won nervously thanks to a famous David Platt goal, but Wright was shaping up as one of the tournament's outstanding defenders. The quarter-final tie against Cameroon was eventful as England went 2-1 down in the second half and Wright, already prompted into a shuffle thanks to a tactical substitution which saw Butcher's withdrawal, suffered a clash of heads and had to leave the field. He came back, stitched and bandaged (see photo above 1st. July 1990 © G.H.), and in order to prevent further damage with too much heading of the ball, played in a scheming midfield role which worked like a dream, allowing Gascoigne to concentrate on working England back into the game.
Two penalties from Gary Lineker did the job and England marched into the semi-finals, where Mark was heroic and calm against the opposition strikers, but West Germany did what came naturally to them in the penalty shoot-out. The lasting image of Wright came instantly after the shoot-out as chief comforter to Stuart Pearce, whose first miss had begun England's downfall. (Matthew Rudd)
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