ON A WING AND A PRAYER
Wright gambled by going to Hibs on trial and now he hopes instincts will reap career dividends
WHEN he read the words of high praise from his old gaffer, Drey Wright drew one obvious conclusion.
If long-serving ex-St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright really did consider the winger to be possibly the most gifted player he had ever signed, isolation was clearly getting to the boss.
‘I heard what Tommy said about me and it was nice to hear,’ said the new Hibs recruit.
‘I’m not too sure that I believed it, though — and did wonder if the lockdown had turned him a bit doolally!
‘But, seriously, it was nice to hear because he’s someone I have a lot of respect for as a manager — and a person as well.
‘He was always very good with me and was very honest from day one. I wish him well in whatever he decides to do next.’
The coach’s assessment of his namesake player did not, however, result in a serious contract offer, with Tommy’s surprise departure — after seven years in the McDiarmid Park hot seat — giving Drey a sinking feeling about his own prospects almost immediately.
Having gambled on proving himself worthy of a deal at Hibs, turning up to train with only a vague promise of anything concrete, Wright can reflect now on a bold move that paid off.
At the time, with new-born twins recovering after being born prematurely just weeks before the lockdown, it represented a sizeable leap of faith.
Wright, who has spoken in the past about the difficulties little Oakley and Jessie went through, laughed when asked yesterday what lockdown had been like with two babies in the house.
‘Carnage,’ he said, with a grin. ‘No, it’s been good. I’ve been around a lot more for them, having missed out on the early stages with my first-born.
‘It’s been nice to have been around, offering help to my partner. At the same time, you do miss that little break you get during the day by coming into training but I’ve no complaints. I’d have gone anywhere, to be honest!
‘No, seriously, it’s such a blessing for the two of us, that they’re both healthy. Once I had the opportunity to come to Hibs, it was an easy decision to make.
‘It was a risk, obviously. My partner was good some days, not so good on others, but she put her trust in me, that I was making the right call. Things have worked out fine.
‘In terms of progression, every move I’ve made has been a good one for me.
‘I just want to keep progressing. I have had tough times and I have had some brilliant times. Moving to Hibs this summer was the perfect scenario for me.’
A winger who can also play wing-back, Wright has been played mostly on the right side for St Johnstone.
Competition for Martin Boyle? Or a potential replacement, should Hibs cash in on the Australian international?
Not Wright’s concern, really. He’s focused on trying to carve out a place for himself — and help Hibs march on those European qualifying places.
‘When the manager picks his team and his system, hopefully I’ll have done enough to warrant a place in the side,’ he said. ‘I will always go out and do my job.
‘To improve on last season’s final position is what we’re aiming for. When the manager came in here results and the form of the team improved, so now he’s got a full pre-season with the squad we want to carry that on.
‘With the squad we have, I think we should be pushing for a place in the top four. Seeing the league positions from last season, there is no reason we can’t be in that top three or four.
‘Personally, I feel fine, good, ready to go. But I sat down the other day and thought: “Jeez, it is only two weeks until the season kicks off”.
‘It has been such a mad summer, with things up in the air for such a long time. It’s nice to have that structure and that first game to look forward to.
‘Yeah, it was disappointing how it ended at St Johnstone because the time I spent there, almost two years, was brilliant. I made a lot of friends and really enjoyed my time at the club.
‘During the lockdown, when the news came through that Tommy had left, I did think that my time at the club may be coming to an end too as he’d been a good manager for me and he’d been pushing for my new deal for a while.
‘It had taken its time, for various reasons, and obviously it just wasn’t to be in the end. But I’m over the moon now to be a Hibs player.
‘After speaking with the manager here, listening to his plans and his goals for the team, myself within the team, it seemed like the perfect move at this stage of my career.
‘My partner had just had the twins, so it wasn’t a case of having to uproot my whole family again, having done that just a couple of years ago.
‘To come and play for Hibs, with their style and quality in the dressing room, was something I knew I would enjoy.’
“Once I had the opportunity to join Hibs, it was an easy decision”