SWP rejoins Man City

The England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips rejoins Manchester City on a four-year deal in a bid to revive his career after three faltering years at Chelsea.

Shaun Wright-Phillips participates in a coaching clinic with local boys from the Football For All Academy, the clinic was held at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in June.
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MANCHESTER // The England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has rejoined Manchester City on a four-year deal in a bid to revive his career after three faltering years at Chelsea. After switching to Stamford Bridge in 2005, 26-year-old Wright-Phillips struggled to command a place in the Chelsea team, starting just 43 matches and scoring four goals. "I'm delighted to come back to City and I just can't wait to get started again," said Wright-Phillips, who joined City in 1999 after being released as a trainee from Nottingham Forest. Chelsea, who shelled out £21 million (Dh141.5m) for Wright-Phillips signature, are thought to have recouped less than half that amount, although deals were not disclosed. "I've always admired him and he's certainly been a target of mine since I came to the football club," said City manager Mark Hughes, who took charge in June. "To actually secure the deal and bring Shaun back home is a fantastic coup for us and I'm sure the supporters will be just as excited as we are to have him back at Manchester City." The stepson of former Arsenal striker Ian Wright will hope to reignite his international career after making just eight England appearances since his 2004 debut. The signing will help allay fears that City owner Thaksin Shinawatra's spending power has been blunted since seeking refuge in Britain earlier this month to avoid pending corruption charges in Thailand, where the former prime minister was ousted from power in a bloodless coup in 2006. He denies all charges, but claims he would not get a fair trial in Thailand.

*AP