Each time Bailey Wright arrives at Preston North End’s Deepdale Stadium, he’s greeted by one of football’s most recognisable statues.
Based on a famous photograph during a match at Chelsea in 1956, the statue depicts Sir Tom Finney sliding in for a tackle on a soggy pitch – this tribute aptly surrounded by water for effect.
So as the late Joe Marston regaled tales of his friendship with Finney in the living room of his New South Wales home last year, he had Wright, the man sitting opposite, suitably awed.
Acknowledged as the founding father for Australian footballers abroad, Marston’s passing on Sunday was mourned across the nation and in the English town of Preston.
But for Wright, that meeting with one of his idols has paved the way for a different kind of sentiment.
“It was a no-brainer for me, I was delighted to get the chance to go and meet him,” Wright told The Roar.
“I got an afternoon with him, spent some good time with him and had a really good laugh. He really was a funny guy, he told me a few stories and gave me some advice. It was nice to get his side and see what it was really like for him over here.
“One name he mentioned a lot was Sir Tom Finney, so to know he was really good friends with him is special as well, because he’s a true legend of football around the world. Some of the advice he gave me was just – he’s your typical hard man – he said go in hard but always be honest and fair. The advice he gave me was to marshall everyone around you and be a leader.
“He was sharp as a tack, funny and full of energy.”
As with so many of the photographs captured in Marston’s later years, Wright will always remember the Socceroos great by the wide grin that seemed a permanent fixture on his face.
There are parallels to be drawn between the two. Like Marston, Wright has etched his name into Preston history as a no-nonsense centre-back who is loyal to the club.
Marston played a staggering 191 consecutive games for the Lilywhites from February 1951 to April 1955 – a dream run that yielded an FA Cup runners-up medal, an English second division title and a second place finish in the first division.
As Preston claimed in their ode to one of their greatest servants, “It had been a courageous leap into the unknown for Joe and his wife, Edith, but the risk he had taken had paid off handsomely.”
Wright has now notched up 161 first team appearances since joining Preston’s youth setup in 2009. Though the 23-year-old is on what has become a well-trodden path, he’s constantly reminded of the man who blazed it.
“To see the amount of people talking about him now, not just in Australia but in the UK as well… for me being at Preston, even more so,” Wright added. “He really is a true legend of the game. He opened up a lot of pathways for a lot of Aussies with how he did it. He did it tough when he first came over here and was one of the first to really do it.
“He opened up a lot of peoples’ eyes to giving Australians an opportunity in the UK. For me to have met him, personally, is a real honour. He was a real nice, humble, down to Earth guy. When you meet someone like that, someone who has done so much for the game, it really is special.
“I knew who Joe was before I came over, I think a majority of Australian footballers would know who he is. But I wasn’t really aware of what he’d done other than that he was the first Aussie to reach an FA Cup final.
“At Preston I didn’t realise how big a name he had over here, I didn’t realise that until I came over here and heard people talking about him. People asked if I knew him, I think they think Australia is only a small place and everyone knows everyone… but it was pretty funny, I’d always have to say I hadn’t met him but now I can say I have.
“For me, every game I play is an opportunity to get better and progress and to win a game. I’ve been here since I was in the youth team. I’ve loved my time here and to be able to follow in his footsteps would be great.
“I don’t know how many appearances short of him I am, but I don’t necessarily look at that, I just try to be as successful as possible and if I rack up the appearances along the way that’s an added bonus.”
Wright looks well on track to surpass Marston’s appearance record at Deepdale, something he will feel humbled to achieve. He’s made a seamless transition into the Championship this season, earning the plaudits of coach Simon Grayson along the way.
Though he was sent off in a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn a week and a half ago, that match ended a purple patch for Wright and his defenders – they’d kept six consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.
He’ll no doubt be itching to get back on the pitch and pay his respects to the man he idolised. He’ll do it by playing hard, honest and fairly – the Joe Marston way.
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