Profile
Haji
Wright
- Position Forward
- Number 19
- Date of Birth Mar 27 1998
- Hometown Los Angeles, California
- Club Coventry City (England)
NATIONAL TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Has earned all three of his career USMNT appearances in 2022.
- Made his international debut as a halftime sub against Morocco on June 1, 2022 and became the 56th MNT player to score in his first appearance, converting from the penalty spot after being handed the ball by Christian Pulisic.
- Played at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile appearing in all three games in a squad that included Pulisic, Tyler Adams and Luca de la Torre.
- Scored 27 goals in 34 games for the U-17s and was one of the players (alongside Pulisic) heavily scouted by German clubs. Reportedly it was Wright Borussia Dortmund came to watch in 2014 before they ultimately settled on signing Pulisic.
2022 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING
- Did not appear in any World Cup Qualifying matches.
CLUB HIGHLIGHTS
- Revitalized his club career with a loan move to Antalyaspor in Turkey in 2021-22, scoring 14 goals in 32 matches and 21 starts. His eight goals in seven appearances during a six-week stretch in April and May of this year vaulted him onto Gregg Berhalter's radar ahead of the summer friendlies.
- Has since signed a permanent deal with Antalyaspor, and continued his hot form with nine goals in 12 games heading into November.
- Played at FC Schalke 04 in Germany from 2016-2019 alongside Weston McKennie. He made seven appearances scoring one goal for the first team in 2018-2019.
- In search of playing time, jumped to VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands for a season before joining Danish side Sonderjyske.
- Signed his first professional contract with the New York Cosmos, with whom he made three appearances before signing for Schalke at age 18.
PERSONAL
- Grew up playing in the house and backyard with his younger brother, Hanif in Los Angeles, Calif.
- Mother Serena remembers Haji watching YouTube endlessly in order to emulate the legends of the early 00s - he cites Thierry Henry as his favorite player growing up.
- Played with Pulisic, Adams, De La Torre and Weston McKennie in various youth national teams with the USA.
- Through the ups and down he’s been vocal about needing to persevere to make it as a player in Europe.
- Is a passionate Los Angeles sports fan. Kobe Bryant is his all-time favorite athlete.
Stories
