28 Facts About Mark Bright

Mark Abraham Bright was born on 6 June 1962 and is an English sports correspondent and former footballer.

Mark Bright played non-league football for local side Leek Town, before joining nearby Football League side Port Vale in 1981.

Mark Bright signed with First Division club Leicester City in June 1984.

Mark Bright failed to find success with Leicester however and was sold on to Crystal Palace in November 1986.

Mark Bright helped Palace to win promotion out of the Second Division via the play-offs in 1989 and went on to play on the losing side of the 1990 FA Cup final, before winning the Full Members' Cup in 1991.

Mark Bright featured in the 1993 League Cup final and 1993 FA Cup final, which ended in defeat to Arsenal both times.

Mark Bright eventually signed with Charlton Athletic in March 1997 and helped the club to win promotion to the Premier League with victory in the 1998 First Division play-off final, before announcing his retirement the following year shortly before his 38th-birthday.

Mark Bright married singer Michelle Gayle in 1996 and divorced in 2007; they have one son.

Mark Bright's mother left home in November 1964, and his father put Bright and his brother, Phillip, up for adoption.

Mark Bright spent a year as a youth-team player at Port Vale before being released at the age of 16.

Mark Bright then played part-time football at Cheshire County League outfit Leek Town and for Sunday league side Mason's Arms, before he rejoined Port Vale as an amateur in October 1981 on the recommendation of Mason's Arms co-manager Russell Bromage.

Mark Bright turned down a contract offer from Sheffield Wednesday manager Howard Wilkinson as he had already promised Leicester manager Gordon Milne he would sign for Leicester.

Mark Bright turned down the offer of a move to Brian Horton's Hull City, as he did not want to move too far north, although took Horton's advice to ask Leicester for a move as the club were not willing to let Mark Bright reach 50 club appearances and so trigger another top-up payment to Port Vale.

Mark Bright was particularly disappointed as he felt he had not performed in the original game.

The Wednesday players were experienced and at the peak of their careers; manager Trevor Francis was eager to win trophies at Hillsborough and felt Mark Bright would prove a good partner to club stalwart David Hirst, particularly with the highly talented Chris Waddle in midfield.

Wednesday reached the final of the FA Cup, where they would again face Arsenal, with Mark Bright scoring an extra-time header against derby rivals Sheffield United to secure victory in the semi-finals.

Mark Bright finished as the club's top-scorer for three consecutive seasons, eventually became the "Owls" highest goalscorer in the Premier League as of December 2019, scoring 48 goals between 1992 and 1996.

Mark Bright signed a new two-year contract in summer 1995, having rejected an approach from West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp.

Mark Bright began training with Swiss club Sion in January 1997.

Mark Bright left soon after due to unpaid wages and issues with his transfer fee with Sheffield Wednesday.

Mark Bright then agreed a new one-year contract, accepting a role mainly as a squad player and experienced pro for the younger players to learn from.

Mark Bright has worked as a sports correspondent for the BBC on BBC London News, Football Focus, Fighting Talk, 5 live Sport, and on Final Score.

Mark Bright has provided punditry for Match magazine and British Eurosport.

Mark Bright was inducted into the City of Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame in 2019.

Mark Bright published his autobiography, My Story - from foster care to footballer, in November 2019.

Mark Bright met British singer and actress Michelle Gayle in 1995 and the couple married in Las Vegas the following year.

Mark Bright has completed six half marathons since his retirement in 1999, all of them in the Great North Run.

Mark Bright is a regular competitor in the London Marathon, raising funds for cancer research in 2000, the Willow Foundation in 2005 and The Rhys Daniels Trust in 2006.