Wright made his debut on 17 August in a 2–1 league win over Oldham Athletic at Anfield but he suffered an injury that kept him out for three months soon afterwards. Having narrowly missed out on the league title the year before Wright's arrival, a much-changed Liverpool squad finished a disappointing sixth in the table in his first season. They were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Genoa at the quarter-final stage but the season ended on a positive note with victory in the FA Cup. Wright captained the side as they beat Second Division Sunderland 2–0 in the decider.