Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Paul Hamilton Wright | ||
Date of birth | 17 August 1967 | ||
Place of birth | East Kilbride, Scotland | ||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Youth career | |||
1983–1985 | Aberdeen | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1984–1989 | Aberdeen | 68 | (16) |
1989–1990 | Queens Park Rangers | 15 | (5) |
1990–1991 | Hibernian | 36 | (7) |
1991–1995 | St Johnstone | 112 | (40) |
1995–2001 | Kilmarnock | 176 | (58) |
2001–2002 | Falkirk | 14 | (2) |
2002 | Greenock Morton | 13 | (4) |
Larkhall Thistle | 0 | (0) | |
Total | 434 | (132) | |
International career | |||
1987–1989 | Scotland U21[1] | 4 | (1) |
1998 | Scotland B[2] | 2 | (1) |
Managerial career | |||
2015–2017 | BSC Glasgow U20s | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Paul Hamilton Wright (born 17 August 1967) is a Scottish retired footballer whose position was striker. Wright played for seven professional clubs spanning 14 years.
Playing career
Born in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Wright's professional career began with Aberdeen in 1983. He won the Scottish Youth Cup as a trainee, alongside David Robertson, Joe Miller and Stevie Gray.[3] However the competition for a striking place at Pittodrie was tough and he was never able to hold down a regular spot in the team, moving on to England and Queens Park Rangers for one season and then returning to Scotland for an equally brief spell with Hibernian.
It was in the mid-to-late 1990s, however, that Wright was at the peak of his career in the Scottish Premier Division, firstly with St Johnstone and then Kilmarnock. He was transferred from Hibs to St Johnstone for £275,000, and from St Johnstone to Kilmarnock for £340,000,[4] becoming both clubs' record buys.
Wright scored the winning goal for Kilmarnock in the 1997 Scottish Cup Final against Falkirk.[5]
He brought his professional playing career to a close in 2002 with Greenock Morton and moved into junior football with Larkhall Thistle.
Coaching career
Wright moved into coaching after retirement and worked as Under-20s manager at Scottish Lowland Football League club BSC Glasgow until June 2017, when he joined his former Kilmarnock coach Alan Robertson at new South of Scotland League side Bonnyton Thistle.[6][7] In May 2021 both Robertson and Wright left the club.[8]
Career statistics
Club
Appearances
Club | Seasons | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Aberdeen[9] | 1983-84 | Scottish Premier Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 |
1984-85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
1985-86 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 2 | ||
1986-87 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 31 | 5 | ||
1987-88 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 9 | 4 | ||
1988-89 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 8 | ||
Total | 68 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 85 | 19 | ||
Queens Park Rangers[10] | 1989-90 | First Division | 15 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15+ | 5+ |
Hibernian[11] | 1989-90 | Scottish Premier Division | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 1 |
1990-91 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 6 | ||
Total | 36 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 7 | ||
Kilmarnock[12] | 1994-95 | Scottish Premier Division | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 1 |
1995-96 | 36 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 40 | 16 | ||
1996-97 | 31 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 18 | ||
1997-98 | 28 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 35 | 14 | ||
1998-99 | SPL | 33 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 39 | 8 | |
1999-00 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 18 | 6 | ||
2000-01 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 9 | ||
Total | 176 | 58 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 4 | - | - | 209 | 72 | ||
Falkirk[13] | 2001-02 | Scottish First Division | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
Greenock Morton[14] | 2001-02 | Scottish Second Division | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 4 |
Career total | 322+ | 92+ | 23+ | 8+ | 17+ | 4+ | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 377+ | 109+ |
References
- ↑ "Scotland U21 profile". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ↑ "Scotland B profile". Fitbastats.com. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ↑ "Scottish Youth Cup". Aberdeen F.C. 31 March 2006. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ↑ "Kilmarnock land Wright". The Independent. London. 31 March 1995. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ↑ Turnbull, Simon (25 May 1997). "Wright has Killie instinct". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ↑ "News & Events". Archived from the original on 26 June 2014.
- ↑ "Bonnyton Thistle enter senior ranks of Scottish football". youthfootballscotland.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ↑ "Bonnyton Thistle part company with Alan Robertson and Paul Wright". bonnytonthistlefc.com. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ↑ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ↑ "Barry Hugman's Footballers – Paul Wright". barryhugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ↑ "Hibernian Player Paul Wright Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ↑ "Kilmarnock Player Paul Wright Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ↑ "bettermeddle..." bettermeddle.org.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ↑ "Morton Player Paul Wright Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
External links
- Paul Wright at Soccerbase
- Paul Wright at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
- Kilmarnock stats at Fitbastats
- Profile and stats at AFC Heritage Trust