Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Wright the favourite for NI job
made a decision to see if over the next couple of years we could bring the age of the squad down and it might be time for me to move on.
“Fortunately, we have done that. There have been two good seasons.
“It’s been something that I felt that when you are at a club for a long period of time, sometimes there comes a point where you need a break and I do need a break.
“It’s a tough job. People don’t give you sympathy being in football management, but it’s 365 days and 24 hours a day and I just felt that this season, if we did well, it would have been the perfect time for me to leave the club in a really strong position.
“The future is really bright on the pitch. I won’t be the one that will take the team forward but I think that could be good, not only for me but for the club and team as well.
“Hopefully, I think it can be a top-six side and in a really good position. It hasn’t been an easy decision but I think it is the right time.”
Wright reminisced about St Johnstone’s only Scottish Cup success to date in 2014 when they defeated Dundee United 2-0 at Hampden Park and the club’s adventures in the Europa League qualifying rounds.
“I actually had no doubt that we wouldn’t win the game,” Wright added. “I just had this feeling that it was written in the stars that it was my first season, 50th game and all that. It just felt that we couldn’t lose that game.
“Once we got the second goal, I knew there was no chance we would concede two goals and it was just total relief and you can enjoy it.
“When the final whistle went, it was probably the happiest moment of my life.
“The disappointment of Europe, which still irks me, is that we got beat by teams that we should have beaten.”