Crawley players 'love' having Mark Wright at the club - but he will have to fight to earn his place in the team

Mark Wright has signed for Crawley TownMark Wright has signed for Crawley Town
Mark Wright has signed for Crawley Town
Crawley Town midfielder Nick Tsaroulla said he and his team mates are learning a lot from 'big character' Mark Wright.

TV personalty Wright, known for starring in The Only Way is Essex, I'm a Celebrity and Strictly Come Dancing, signed for the Reds on a non-contract basis this week.

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It is not Wright's first spell at the club, as he played nine times in the 2006/07 season with the Reds, during John Yems' first stint in charge.

Tsaroulla, 21, who is a product of the Tottenham Hotspur academy, made his third start for Crawley in last night's 1-1 draw with Bradford City.

After the game, Tsaroulla was asked about the mood in the dressing room after the big name signing this week.

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"He [Wright] is a big character," he said. "He's come in and fit in very well.

"He's a top guy, works very hard in training. We've got a lot of advice from his previous experiences. We love having him about."

Assistant head coach Lee Bradbury, who took charge of the Reds again as Yems remains absent due to personal reasons, said left-back Wright is an 'exemplary' addition to the team.

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He said: "He works so hard, his fitness is great. He came in and was a little bit behind the players but he worked so hard to come back. We run sessions and he asks to do extra.

"He doesn't need to do it from a financial point of view and that's something that the players should look at. He does it because he loves it.

"He wants to do it and prove a point to himself that he can do it in the league. He leads by example.

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"He's got a good left foot, he talks well and he's liked by the players."

Bradbury said Wright likes that he gets 'treated the same as everybody else', adding: "We don't have celebrities here. Everyone is the same, whether you're 17 or 42. Everyone has got to be accountable.

"Me and the gaffer are not going to put him on because he's Mark Wright. He's got to be better than the players we've got.

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"We get judged on performances and the players wearing the badge reflect what we want them to do. Mark has got a fantastic attitude with ability as well.

"I was with him at Southend when he was a kid. He's certainly got a lot to bring to the group.

"Whether he slots in at that left-back slot is down to him. If he does play, I'm telling you he's the best left back we've got at the club. That's the only reason he's in."

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Bradbury also gave an update on another left-back at the club, Josh Doherty, who has been left out of action due to a hamstring injury.

"Josh was back training yesterday [Monday]," he said. "He was having a really good season.

"He's been out three weeks but probably needs three, four more days training. We can't afford another six weeks out."

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