Patience has paid off for this young Don
Now his chance has come – and he’ll put his body on the line to seize it.
The latest stage of his development comes on Tuesday night with Scotland Under-21’s European Championship qualifier against Holland.
Wright made his Dons debut three years ago, aged just 16, during a 5-0 Europa League win over Daugava Riga.
However, the teenage hopeful quickly found his path to the first team blocked by steadfast stars Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn.
Between them, the pair made 177 Dons appearances over the last two seasons, while Wright racked up just 14 – the vast majority off the bench.
Left to kick his heels on the sidelines, Wright wondered whether his Dons dream was about to die.
Instead, it was rekindled when both stars departed, leaving the 20-year-old to finally seize his moment.
“It was so hard to get in the team last year with Jonny and Niall there. They’re tried-and-tested players, turning it on week in, week out,” said Wright.
“But they’re gone now. It’s time for the new crop to step up and, hopefully, I can be one of them.
“Sometimes I wondered whether it would happen.
“Jonny and Niall could have finished their careers at Aberdeen, but opportunities came up for them which they felt they couldn’t turn down.
“That has given me my opportunity in the team.
“But I’d say I’m a fairly positive guy. If it didn’t work out at Aberdeen, I believed it would work out somewhere.”
Wright’s early performances suggest he is more than capable of becoming a star in his own right.
If he gets there, he will owe the guys who kept him out of the team a debt of gratitude.
But he is determined to prove to Derek McInnes that he is worthy of following in Hayes and McGinn’s footsteps.
“I learned a lot from both of them. I saw how hard they worked in training – and how hard I would need to work in training,” saidWright.
“I saw what they did on and off the pitch – how they looked after their diets, how they’d work in the gym, do extra after training, work on crossing, finishing, and just keeping their standards up every day.
“I want to keep myself in the best shape I can, so I’ll work really hard with the fitness coach and try to bulk up this season – that’s an area I need to work on.
“I just need to make sure I give the manager no excuses not to play me.”
Wright’s form has been recognised with a Scotland Under-21 call-up for Tuesday’s clash at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.
The Dons star is chuffed to be in Scot Gemmill’s squad – and is ready to soak up the experience.
“I think it’s a great part of your football education, playing against different international teams, seeing how they play, how they shape up,” he said.
“It’s a totally different style to club football – especially in Scotland – and I think it will make me a better player.”