Southampton have extended goalkeeper Richard Wright's loan deal until the end of the season.
Keeper to see out season at St Mary's
Southampton have extended goalkeeper Richard Wright's loan deal until the end of the season.
The former England international is currently deputising for Saints' first choice stopper Kelvin Davis and has shone in his four appearances so far, conceding just two goals.
He was due to return to parent club West Ham after Saturday's match with Burnley, but an extension to the deal has now been rushed through enabling to remain at St Mary's.
Southampton boss Nigel Pearson is delighted to have retained the keeper's services, especially with no date set as yet for Davis to make his return from a cracked and dislocated finger.
Presence
"I am delighted Richard is able to stay with us until the end of the season. He has done well for us and has enjoyed his football," Pearson told the club's
official website.
"He has made some outstanding saves and has looked confident and composed and he has been a big presence for us while Kelvin is sidelined.
"He (Davis) is on the mend but he is still not 100 per cent. It was a nasty injury and although he could play in an emergency, this gives him extra leeway to make a full recovery.
"However, he still has a massive contribution to make around the place and his involvement is very important. He is a big character and a model pro.
"It has been disappointing for him to miss out but he is training with us, although we still have to monitor the situation with his finger."
Backing
Saints chairman Leon Crouch, who backed his manager by pushing through the agreement, is also pleased to have Wright on board as the club continue to battle against relegation from the Championship.
"With so much at stake, we cannot afford to take risks with our Coca-Cola Championship status," he said.
"Nigel wanted Richard Wright to stay because Kelvin Davis has been out since the beginning of March and is still not fully fit.
"We will support Nigel as much as we can so we have got the deal done. We could not let it expire because then we might not have been able to extend it.
"We had to do it before it came to an end so we have acted quickly to make sure we keep him."
