Bradley Wright-Phillips had as prolific ꦑa goal-scoring campaign as any player in MLS history. He’ll be rewarded next season with a raise and a Designateꩵd Player contract.
“Following his outstanding performances in 2014, which produced 31 goals in ꦉall competitions, the club has decided to make Bradley Wright-Phillips an MLS Designated Player,” Red Bulls sporting director Andy Roxburgh said in a statement. “Bradley’s not only a prolific goal scorer, he is an excellent professional and a great team player who will be a big asset to the club in the coming seasons.’’
Wright-Phillips made $330,000 this season, and the Post first reported Wright-Phillips had an option year that kicked in when he reached 20 league starts. Afte🌟r a breakout campaign that saw him win the Cꦏastrol Index Top Player Award and be named Tuesday to the MLS Best XI, the Red Bulls announced Wednesday that he’d become a Designated Player.
And the Englishꦇ striker has even higher standards for next year.
“I just want to brush up on my finishing — I think I said that few times this season,” Wright-Phillips said. “I want to convert more chances, and that’s what I aim to do.
“I scored some goals, but I don’t remember walking off the pitch completely happy inℱ most of those games. There’s a lot of things I wasn’t happy with in a lot of those games. I want to feel like that less next season, for sure.’’
Wright-Phillips missing chancesꦑ became a running joke during the year, as demanding team captain Thierry Henry – who morphed from strike partner in a 4-4-2 to left-sided facilitator in a 4-2-3-1 – constantly ribbed him that he should have twice as many goals.
But by the end of the regular season the Englishman broke the single-season team scoring record set by Juan Pablo Angel, then🔯 tied the league mark with 27 goals. 🐲He added four more in the playoffs. He showed a rapport with Henry, who assisted eight of his regular-season goals and two in the postseason.
“In t⛦he time I’ve been here, he’s taught me a lot. Hop🌊efully the boys have taken on what he’s taught us and we can put it into the game,’’ Wright-Phillips said of Henry, who broke his father Ian Wright’s scoring records at Arsenal. “There’s so many things Thierry’s taught me, just how you go about being a professional.’’
Wright-Phillips’ four goals helped the Red Bulls make the conference final for the third time, but his lack of awareness of his yellow card peril in the home leg of the conference final led to a suspension for last Saturday’s road leg. It still galls him.
“It was very frustrating, man,” Wright-Phillips said. “I messed up. I got a silly yellow card and I paid for it. … Obviously I wanted to be out there to help my teammates, but I got a silly yellow card and I had to deal with it.”
He said the inci🍬dent will serve as motivation for next seas🤪on.
“I think at times this season we were good, but overall I don’t think so,” Wright-Phillips said. “If we can put some good results together earlier in the season I think we can be a tough team to beat, and I think we’ll so that next season.’’