Shaun Wright-Phillips trades Premier League boots for Strictly

The 24th series of Strictly Come Dancing will kick off on Saturday, featuring a fresh batch of celebrity contestants. Among them is former Premier League winger Shaun Wright‑Phillips, who will become the eleventh footballer to test his rhythm on the ballroom floor.

Wright‑Phillips's football pedigree

Wright‑Phillips, 44, dazzled as a flying winger for Manchester City and Chelsea, earning 36 England caps. His pace and ability to jink past defenders defined his Premier League reputation. Now he hopes that same agility will translate to the ballroom.

“She said to just dive straight into it and don’t hold back,” Wright‑Phillips said. “It’s something that’s definitely out of my comfort zone, but I don’t get overly nervous in general, so I’ll go for it and do the best I can.”

Karen Carney's winning formula

Karen Carney, 39, became the first footballer to claim the Strictly crown last year, partnering Carlos Gu. The former England international, who earned 139 caps, out‑scored rivals George Clarke and Amber Davies to finish top.

Wright‑Phillips echoed Carney’s advice, pledging to dive straight into the competition. He added that dancing runs in his family but Strictly is a new challenge he is eager to meet.

Other footballers on Strictly

Joining Wright‑Phillips are Olympic skeleton champion Tabitha Stoecker and 19‑time Paralympic gold medallist Sarah Storey, adding a broader athletic flavour to the show that launches on Saturday. He will also have the backing of Arsenal legend Ian Wright, his father, among the fans.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the former Premier League striker, ended the 2022 series in eleventh place with partner Lauren Oakley, his scores ranging from 30 down to 25. Arsenal legend Ian Wright, now 58, matched that position a year later, finishing twelfth with a high of 23 alongside Karen Hauer. Former England captain Tony Adams, paired with Katya Jones, secured ninth place, his weekly marks sliding from 31 to 15. Alex Scott, the first Lioness to join Strictly in 2019, impressed judges to finish fifth with partner Neil Jones.

The ex‑Three Lions goalkeeper who competed alongside Scott placed twelfth with Nadiya Bychkova, his scores dropping from 28 to a record low of 10 for a footballer. Welsh Premier League veteran Robbie Savage reached sixth in the 2011 edition with Ola Jordan, achieving a top score of 31. England great Peter Shilton also finished twelfth, partnering Erin Boag and recording a high of 26 and a low of 17. Early entrants included a Liverpool hero with Nicole Cutler, who earned a peak of 36 and seventh place, and the first footballer, a former Manchester United goalkeeper, who teamed with Erin Boag in 2006 to finish seventh with a best of 31.