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. 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, becoming both clubs' record buys.
Wright scored the winning goal for Kilmarnock in the 1997 Scottish Cup Final against Falkirk.
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. In May 2021 both Robertson and Wright left the club.
Career statistics + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAberdeen1983–84Scottish Premier Division10000000 – –101984–8500001000 – –101985–86102200020 – –1421986–87254301021 – –3151987–8894000000 – –941988–89236421010 – –298Total6816923051--8519Queens Park Rangers1989–90First Division155 – – – – – – – –15+5+Hibernian1989–90Scottish Premier Division31100000 – –411990–91336001000 – –346Total367101000--387Kilmarnock1994–95Scottish Premier Division71000000 – –711995–963613222100 – –40161996–973115531000 – –37181997–982810202133 – –35141998–99SPL336002240 – –3981999-00165000021 – –1862000–01258414000 – –339Total1765813611494--20972Falkirk2001–02Scottish First Division14200200010172Greenock Morton2001–02Scottish Second Division134000000 – –134Career total322+92+23+8+17+4+14510377+109+
References
External links
Kilmarnock stats at Fitbastats Profile and stats at AFC Heritage Trust