Socceroos substitute Bailey Wright’s elation turned to heartbreak moments after Australia’s famous World Cup victory over Denmark as he received a devastating text from his wife.
Wright fought back tears as he revealed after the match he had been told about a serious health situation with his mother-in-law back in England.
“Just come in from a message from my wife,” Wright said.
“Hope she (my mother-in-law) is still with us.”
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The centre back did not even tell his Socceroos teammates about the situation but still fronted up for post-match media duties.
“It’s something I’ve kept to myself, no-one knows,” he said. “We’ve all got a lot going on, just really proud.”
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Football Australia staff said they would update on the condition of Wright’s mother-in-law later on Thursday.
Wright came on late in the second half against Denmark as Australia defended its 1-0 lead. It was the 31-year-old’s first World Cup appearance after he was part of the 2014 squad but didn’t get on the field.
“To get on is special,” Wright says.
“But even if I didn’t get on, to achieve what we’ve achieved, a lot of that performance and the reward you’re seeing now has been an effort over four years. A lot has been on this journey, and that’s for everyone who has made sacrifices over four years.”
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