Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Wright so happy with vintage Killie season he’d like to bottle it
JOE Wright would love to “bottle” this season as he looks to end it with a European spot for Kilmarnock.
The 29-year-old defender joined Killie in 2022 after Derek Mcinnes brought the side up to the Premiership and he spent last season battling to keep them in the league.
This campaign has been quite the contrast and, with four fixtures to go, Killie are in fourth, nine points ahead of St Mirren and 11 in front of Dundee, as they prepare to play Rangers at Ibrox tomorrow.
With an eye to swiftly clinching a European place, former Huddersfield and Doncaster stopper Wright said: “Obviously you look forward to the summer and the break but if you could bottle this season it would be brilliant.
“Obviously it is a lot more enjoyable this year being at the right end of the table and I just think we have built on last year, added a bit more quality and belief, and that has showed on the pitch.
“It has been enjoyable coming in every day, it doesn’t feel like a job.”
Kilmarnock beat Rangers on the opening day of the season, then lost the two subsequent meetings.
Mcinnes’s side knocked Celtic out of the League Cup and have also taken four points from nine from the Parkhead club in the league and Wright insists Killie have built up belief.
He said: “We always have motivation going into fixtures and when you play against the Old Firm you know you have to be at it as a group and that is something that we have had this season.
“Hopefully it will be another close game and we can get something from it. You go into these game not really fearing anybody which can be the case with some teams.
“But we like to focus on ourselves and try to put the best performances in that we can.”