Sophomore goalkeeper Annis-Clara Wright seems to have found a second home at the University of Texas. Prior to arriving at Texas, Wright attended Mercyhurst University, a private, Division I university in Pennsylvania.
Coming to Texas wasn’t the first big move Wright made, however. Originally from Reigate, United Kingdom, she came to the United States to attend a university while continuing her passion for soccer.
“I always wanted a degree,” Wright said. “I would have gone a bit further north in the (United Kingdom) to get my degree, and then found a team there. Whereas in the U.S., it’s so much more coherent, in the sense that you get both opportunities equally, which is much more efficient.”
Growing up in the United Kingdom, Wright was no stranger to top competition. At age nine, she was recruited to the Chelsea Football Club Academy, and played there for four years.
“From a very early age, I was part of the academy system, which isn’t seen as much in the U.S. but definitely is sort of the main way you get into women’s soccer in England,” Wright said. “There was a high standard from a young age.”
After her time at Chelsea, Wright left the club to play for Crystal Palace Football Club Academy in 2022. Soon, after playing with the squad for only a year, she was called up to Crystal Palace’s Women’s First Team, representing Crystal Palace in the English Women’s Super League 2, the second highest level of women’s professional soccer in the U.K.
After winning the championship title in the 2023-2024 WSL 2 season at just 16 years old, Wright and her team were promoted to the Women’s Super League, the female counterpart to the English Premier League.
A year later, in the fall of 2025, Wright found herself beginning two new journeys: one as a college student, and one as a college athlete.
Wright played in five games at Mercyhurst University, recording an impressive 34 saves while allowing only eight goals.
“I met some amazing people,” Wright said. “It was great, just on a daily basis, to be in a routine where you’re playing soccer at a really great level, and then also attending university.”
However, wanting a greater athletic and academic challenge, Wright entered the transfer portal and ultimately chose Texas.
“It’s definitely more demanding here, but that’s what I was trying to go for,” Wright said.
So far, Wright has appeared in just one game this season for the Longhorns, but is patiently soaking up the experiences her team, university and environment have to offer.
“It’s been really great to meet new people, which is a completely separate part (from soccer), but also an outlet to discover and experience new things,” Wright said. “My main goal is just to experience as much as I can.”
