Marcelo Bielsa on how Crawley Town's former TOWIE star Mark Wright was used to make Leeds United 'look even more stupid or bad'

Original The Only Way Is Essex cast member Wright was handed his professional debut for Crawley when coming on as an 89th-minute substitute in last weekend's third round FA Cup clash at home to the Whites.

The 33-year-old was released by Tottenham Hotspur as an 18-year-old having earlier been at West Ham United and Arsenal but Wright signed for Crawley in December looking for one last shot at the professional game.

With Leeds already 3-0 down and heading for another early exit in last Sunday's FA Cup tie, Crawley boss John Yems brought on Wright who had made the bench for the first time since signing.

Wright's outing then featured in plenty of headlines as Leeds succumbed to their League Two hosts who sat 62 places lower down the football pyramid.

Bielsa, though, said Wright deserved his place in the Crawley side just as much as any other player and felt the media had used the former reality TV star to add even more colour to the cup upset.

Bielsa said there were different ways to treat the result and look at the game - including highlighting the fact that Crawley "celebrated their victory by getting drunk or the fact that they brought on an actor in the second half to add to the humiliation."

But Bielsa explained: "I in no way judge if the player came in or whatever his origin is.

"For me, he is a component of the opponent's team and he legitimately occupies that place and he came on like any other team-mate could have come on, that's how I interpret it.

"What I mention is how it was interpreted by the media, to find a way of having an opinion on the game over something that had nothing to do with the football part of the performance - as if the game itself didn't have enough elements to classify our performance as negative.

"But because it's not sufficient, they go to the fact of what he does and that this player came on the pitch or the lack of seriousness that we could have possibly faced this game.

"All the extra footballing things that allow the person that is referring to the game to add substance and colour to what is already an important matter - things that have no importance to make us look even more bad or stupid than we already feel.

"I reiterate that this change, in no way should it be criticised.

"The conditions that this player has, I don't think are linked to him being a reality TV star, I think he deserves to be there - or the fact that a victory is celebrated by getting drunk.

"I also don't think it's something bad, I don't think it's bad or good."

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/marcelo-bielsa-reveals-leeds-united-team-news-ahead-brightons-elland-road-visit-premier-league-clash-3100660

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/john-sheridans-old-school-words-leeds-uniteds-jordan-stevens-should-fuel-his-fire-graham-smyth-3097094

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/yorkshire-evening-post-launch-leeds-united-only-digital-subscription-ahead-premier-league-campaign-2967964

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Thank you Laura Collins