Bailey Wright on Singapore, the Socceroos and the A-League’s need for growth

Bailey Wright’s international career is on pause by circumstance, not by choice. The 34-year-old defender says he’d answer another Socceroos call, even as a younger generation moves ahead of him and his life takes root in Singapore.

Wright spoke with Football360 after arriving in Adelaide with Lion City Sailors for their AFC Champions League Two match against Adelaide United on Thursday night. His comments span three subjects that still matter to him: Australia’s national team, the club and country he now calls home, and the future shape of Australian domestic football.

The Socceroos door stays open

Wright has no intention of announcing his international retirement. He earned his last cap against Ecuador in March 2023 and has played at two World Cups, but he recognises that Lucas Herrington, Alessandro Circati and other emerging players are now ahead of him in the selection picture.

“I don’t think I’d ever internationally retire. Why would I?” he said. “If one day my name’s on a list and they suddenly want me to represent my country, no problem. I’ll be there.”

That confidence comes with a clear-eyed view of his place in the squad. Wright said he knows players deserve to be selected before him. He isn’t asking for a route back; he’s keeping himself available because representing Australia remains, in his words, the most meaningful opportunity of his career.

For now, he follows the team as a supporter. The Socceroos’ progress carries extra weight for a player who remembers how the achievements of the Golden Generation helped draw him into football. He has also been part of Australian teams that influenced public interest in the sport, and he’s pleased to see a new group taking on that role.

Wright takes particular satisfaction in watching former teammates continue to perform. He singled out Jackson Irvine, Mathew Leckie and Aziz Behich, praising their fitness, resilience and continued contribution. Leckie’s injury left him disappointed, he said, but it hasn’t changed his view of the winger’s quality.

Watching a World Cup from home

Wright watched the recent World Cup from Melbourne, where he was staying during the tournament. Having played at Qatar 2022, he knew what it meant to experience the event from inside a squad. That made watching as a fan enjoyable, but it also brought a familiar pang of missing out.

“There’s an element of FOMO that you get because you’ve lived it, you’ve been there,” he said. After a World Cup, he added, “you kind of feel like you lived a fairytale for a while.”

He watched matches at home, sometimes alone and sometimes with his wife, children or parents, depending on kickoff times. Large groups and pub screenings aren’t his preference, especially when he cares about the teams involved. Wright said he often wants to focus on the match rather than discuss tactics while it’s happening, so watching by himself can be the better experience.

A complicated Singapore match-up

The next major international occasion on his calendar is the Asian Cup in January, if the tournament goes ahead. Australia is set to face Singapore, where Wright now lives and plays. He expects to watch with divided loyalties: the Socceroos remain his first priority, but Singaporean football has become part of his daily life.

Wright was reluctant to identify specific Singapore players for Australia coach Tony Popovic. Lion City Sailors contribute 11 players to Singapore’s national team, giving him a close view of the squad’s preparation and shared ambitions. He described qualification for the Asian Cup on merit as a major achievement for Singapore football.

His assessment of the team focused less on individual talent than collective resolve. Singapore’s strength, he said, lies in its togetherness and commitment to getting results. That unity could make the side difficult to face, particularly as its players try to make history for the country.

Wright wants Australia to win the Asian Cup, but he also hopes the Australia-Singapore fixture is competitive. Asked whether he might settle for a 1-1 draw, he answered plainly: “I want Australia to win.”

Singapore has become home

Singapore was Wright’s first destination after he ended a 13-year spell in European football. He once expected he might return to Australia, particularly Melbourne, but says he’s settled into a life he enjoys more than he anticipated.

He praised Lion City Sailors for their progress on and off the pitch, including their ambition to contend for trophies and keep strengthening the club. Singapore itself has also proved a good place for his family. His wife and children are happy there, and Wright said he feels no pressing pull to return to Australia for football.

Melbourne remains the centre of his family ties, and he expects he may live there again one day. For now, though, he’s content with his role at Sailors and will see how many more seasons his body allows. A return to the A-League is no longer an assumption he needs to fulfil.

Wright wants more clubs in the A-League

His base may be in Singapore, but Wright remains engaged with Australian football. He appeared briefly in Season 0 of Breaking Barriers, advocating for the documentary to be based on the Mornington Peninsula, where he grew up.

He also sees room for the A-League to expand. South Melbourne’s Australia Cup triumph has renewed debate about the league’s future structure, and Wright believes clubs with deep roots and established culture could make the competition stronger.

“We need more teams with history and culture that clubs like South Melbourne have,” he said, adding that there are other clubs that could contribute too. He wants the league to become more competitive and believes those clubs have shown they’re capable of playing at that level.

Wright’s own next chapter is in Singapore, but his comments point to a wider connection with Australian football that isn’t tied to where he lives or whether he returns to the A-League. He’ll keep the door open to the Socceroos, follow the next generation, and argue for a domestic competition with more clubs that bring history and support with them.

Adelaide face Lion City Sailors at 6.45pm AEDT on Thursday.