Shaun Wright-Phillips Defends Manchester City Titles Won During Nine-Year Period Relating to Guilty Verdict

Shaun Wright-Phillips Defends Manchester City Titles Won During Nine-Year Period Relating to Guilty Verdict Manchester City have received the backing of former winger Shaun Wright-Phillips ahead of their appeal to the independent panel guilty verdict. More Videos City were a very different club when Shaun Wright-Phillips first broke into the side, a team forever bouncing between divisions - a far cry from the serial winners that play at the Etihad Stadium today. Few understand the journey from Maine Road to the summit of English football better than an academy graduate who witnessed much of the rise first-hand. A product of the club's youth system, Wright-Phillips announced himself as one of the brightest wingers in the country and went on to enjoy two stellar spells at City either side of a stint at Chelsea . He has remained a cult hero in the blue half of Manchester ever since. Now that the modern City’s achievements are being called into question in the wake of the Premier League’s guilty verdict, Wright-Phillips has mounted a heartfelt defence of the players who delivered the trophies, arguing that money alone could never have been enough. Responding to the idea that financial power was the only decisive force behind Manchester City ’s era of dominance, Wright-Phillips pointed to something a chequebook cannot buy. Speaking to Oddschecker , the 45-year-old pointed to his own career across the English top-flight to make the case for togetherness over spending. “I think the players on the pitch wore their heart on their sleeves to achieve those medals and awards - and I don’t think there’s any amount of money that could have made that happen,” Wright-Phillips said. “I’ve been at clubs where money has been splashed - and it hasn’t won them anything. So without putting it all together and creating a cohesion in a team that can actually gel together, I don’t think it would exist." Wright-Phillips admitted the legal battle and surrounding circus had been painful to watch, yet insisted it had done nothing to dent his loyalty. “You’ve got to stay positive," the former winger added. "Obviously, it’s sad to hear all the news around it, but it’s my club, isn’t it? I’m devastated with what’s happening and tainting the club, but it’s still my club. "I’m still going to love it the same way. I’m still going to love the players that achieved everything they have achieved since I’ve left and been retired, and I’m still going to love the players that are there now working hard to do the things that they’re doing with all the distractions around them.” The ex-winger also made clear the distinction between the boardroom and the dressing room, emphasising that the Manchester City players carry no responsibility for what the club stands accused of and have simply got on with their jobs. “At the end of the day, they’re professional, they want to win. They had nothing or have nothing to do with what has gone on in the background,” Wright-Phillips said. “All they care about is what’s going to happen on the pitch, and that’s what they’ve been taking care of.” On September 29, an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules across a nine-season period, a ruling the club have branded “unsafe” and are fighting on appeal, with a separate hearing to decide any sanction still to follow. City registered a formal appeal against the verdict on October 1, pointing to a body of 'irrefutable evidence' the club believes will prove their innocence in the appeal process and clear their name of all wrongdoing. On the pitch, Enzo Maresca and his players have made a solid start to the 2026-27 season, sitting three points off the top of the Premier League table and looking to move into the UEFA Champions League league phase top eight with an away win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday night. Whatever the appeal ultimately decides, Wright-Phillips’ message to supporters was clear: the bond between City and the players who pull on the shirt runs far deeper than any financial figures.