Wright senior - who adopted Shaun when he was 18 months old - scored 185 goals for Arsenal and has given him unflinching support throughout his career that started with rejection by Nottingham Forest when he was 16.
"They said I was too small," said Wright-Phillips." But City took him on, he blossomed into a midfield player of genuine class - and that has caught the eye of Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The England manager gave him his full debut last month and he scored against Ukraine. City manager Kevin Keegan rewarded him last month with a new four-year deal. On Wednesday he scored once and made five assists in City's 7-1 Carling Cup victory over Barnsley.
Arsenal go into tomorrow's game with a two-point lead at the top of the Premiership and captain Patrick Vieira is convinced they are a team of world-beaters.
He said: "Right now, the way we play football, Arsenal would beat France. That shows how far this club have come in the last few years. There is a young generation coming through and it's a new start for us."
