VIDEO: USMNT star Haji Wright hits stunning hat-trick to down Middlesbrough & send Frank Lampard's Coventry back to Championship summit

American frontman Wright helped to get that campaign back on track as he put in a match-altering performance against Boro - the team that had overtaken Coventry in first place following an untimely wobble from Lampard’s men.

The former Chelsea and England midfielder has seen his team surrender a 10-point advantage at the top of the Championship standings, with the Sky Blues seemingly running away with the title at one stage, but they snapped a three-match winless run when seeing off Middlesbrough 3-1 on home soil.

Wright, who has taken his goal tally for the season to 13, was the undoubted star of the show for Coventry against Boro. He hit the post with the first notable action of the game, before sweeping in the opener with 21 minutes on the clock.

His second saw Sky Blues goalkeeper Carl Rushworth claim an assist, with a thumping clearance down the middle of the pitch, with Wright displaying good strength to hold off his marker and drill into the bottom corner.

The 27-year-old, who is hoping to grace a home World Cup with the USMNT this summer, completed his treble and landed himself the match ball when holding his nerve to convert from the penalty spot in the 71st minute.

Lampard said of Wright’s talismanic performance: “Haji keeps his head down, he's been working hard and we know what Haji can be like when he's in that form. Really pleased for him and he has to take that forward. Especially with a high-level game, you have to score in critical moments and we did today. Everybody worked and Haji did the business.”

Coventry’s manager added on a man who had only netted twice through his last 19 appearances: “I’m delighted for Haji. Strikers get judged so much on goals. He came out the blocks at the start of the season and then he had a little bit of an injury when he was away with his national team and when he came back it sort of broke his rhythm but there’s so much talent there.

“When you get him really feeling like this is a competitive game, he uses all his attributes and strength, he’s got great quality and we saw that tonight. That has to give him the confidence to go and reproduce that.”

Coventry, who tumbled as far as League Two at one stage, are looking to rejoin the Premier League ranks for the first time since 2001. Wright is being backed to grace the top-flight next season regardless of whether the Sky Blues get there or not, with transfer talk surfacing in each passing window.