IPSWICH Town keeper Richard Wright only met Sir Bobby Robson once, but the encounter left a lasting impression on him.

Carl Marston

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By Carl Marston

IPSWICH Town keeper Richard Wright only met Sir Bobby Robson once, but the encounter left a lasting impression on him.

That's why Wright wants to shut out Newcastle United on Saturday. The 31-year-old is desperate to mark the special occasion, of renaming the North Stand in Sir Bobby's honour, with a clean-sheet and a first win of the season.

“I bumped into Sir Bobby Robson after an England Under-21s game in Italy.” recalled Wright.

“I think we won the match 1-0 and I was standing with Kieron Dyer at the time, when he came up to us.

“Sir Bobby said “well done” to us. That was the only time I ever met him, unfortunately, but there was a great presence about him in the corridor.

“I have a great respect for him, for what he did for Ipswich and of course England,” added Wright.

Ipswich-born Wright began his career as a trainee at Portman Road, so the influence of Sir Bobby Robson has always been around.

And after making 240 league appearances for Town during his first spell, and then enjoying big-money moves to Arsenal (�6m) and Everton (�3.5m), he is now hoping to bring the good times back to Ipswich.

“We just want to achieve what he (Sir Bobby) achieved. We want to bring the good times back to Ipswich Town,” insisted Wright.

“Being a local boy, I have always respected him, although I was only born in 1977, the year before we won the FA Cup, so I can't remember much about that one!

“However, I know all the background about Sir Bobby and what he achieved, in Europe (UEFA Cup winners in 1981) and the FA Cup. Ipswich is not a massive town, and all the fans talk about it all the time.

“You get reminded of it, and I've seen the videos. It would be good to emulate that.

“It will definitely be an emotional day. I've seen all the pictures and the footage on TV from Durham (of the Memorial Service).

“We all know that Sir Bobby Robson is held in great affection by this football club. We have to be proud of what he has done for this club. The players know this.

“However, we mustn't be distracted about this on the day. The most important thing is to keep our heads down and get that first win,” concluded Wright.