# Paul Wright (footballer)

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

| Club | Seasons | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Seasons | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Aberdeen | 1983-84 | Scottish Premier Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 |
| Aberdeen | 1984-85 | Scottish Premier Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 |
| Aberdeen | 1985-86 | Scottish Premier Division | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 2 |
| Aberdeen | 1986-87 | Scottish Premier Division | 25 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 31 | 5 |
| Aberdeen | 1987-88 | Scottish Premier Division | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 9 | 4 |
| Aberdeen | 1988-89 | Scottish Premier Division | 23 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 8 |
| Aberdeen | Total | Total | 68 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 85 | 19 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1989-90 | First Division | 15 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15+ | 5+ |
| Hibernian | 1989-90 | Scottish Premier Division | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 1 |
| Hibernian | 1990-91 | Scottish Premier Division | 33 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 6 |
| Hibernian | Total | Total | 36 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 7 |
| Kilmarnock | 1994-95 | Scottish Premier Division | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 1 |
| Kilmarnock | 1995-96 | Scottish Premier Division | 36 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 40 | 16 |
| Kilmarnock | 1996-97 | Scottish Premier Division | 31 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 18 |
| Kilmarnock | 1997-98 | Scottish Premier Division | 28 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 35 | 14 |
| Kilmarnock | 1998-99 | SPL | 33 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 39 | 8 |
| Kilmarnock | 1999-00 | SPL | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 18 | 6 |
| Kilmarnock | 2000-01 | SPL | 25 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 9 |
| Kilmarnock | Total | Total | 176 | 58 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 4 | - | - | 209 | 72 |
| Falkirk | 2001-02 | Scottish First Division | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 |
| Greenock Morton | 2001-02 | Scottish Second Division | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 4 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 322+ | 92+ | 23+ | 8+ | 17+ | 4+ | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 377+ | 109+ |