Tommy Wright (footballer, born 1963)
{{Short description|Northern Ireland footballer (born 1963)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Tommy Wright
| fullname = Thomas James Wright{{Hugman|21799|access-date=13 May 2017}}
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1963|8|29}}
| birth_place = Ballyclare, County Antrim,
Northern Ireland
| height =
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub = Northern Ireland U21 (manager)
| years1 =
| clubs1 = Linfield
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 1988–1993
| clubs2 = Newcastle United
| caps2 = 73
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1991
| clubs3 = → Hull City (loan)
| caps3 = 6
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1993–1997
| clubs4 = Nottingham Forest
| caps4 = 11
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1996
| clubs5 = → Reading (loan)
| caps5 = 17
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 1997
| clubs6 = → Manchester City (loan)
| caps6 = 5
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 1997–2001
| clubs7 = Manchester City
| caps7 = 29
| goals7 = 0
| years8 = 1999
| clubs8 = → Wrexham (loan)
| caps8 = 16
| goals8 = 0
| years9 = 1999
| clubs9 = → Newcastle United (loan)
| caps9 = 3
| goals9 = 0
| years10 = 2001
| clubs10 = → Bolton Wanderers (loan)
| caps10 = 4
| goals10 = 0
| years11 = 2001
| clubs11 = Bolton Wanderers
| caps11 = 0
| goals11 = 0
| totalcaps = 169
| totalgoals = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1989–1999
| nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland
| nationalcaps1 = 31
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 2003–2005
| managerclubs1 = Limavady United
| manageryears2 = 2005–2008
| managerclubs2 = Ballymena United
| manageryears3 = 2009–2011
| managerclubs3 = Lisburn Distillery
| manageryears4 = 2013–2020
| managerclubs4 = St Johnstone
| manageryears5 = 2021
| managerclubs5 = Kilmarnock
| manageryears6 = 2023–
| managerclubs6 = Northern Ireland U21
}}
Thomas James Wright (born 29 August 1963) is a Northern Irish football coach and former player who currently is the manager of Northern Ireland’s under 21 team.
As a player, he was a goalkeeper who notably played in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Manchester City. He also played in the Football League with Hull City, Reading, Wrexham and Bolton Wanderers, as well as in his native country with Linfield. He was capped 31 times by Northern Ireland.
Since retiring as a player he has worked as a coach or manager for Limavady United, Ballymena United, Shamrock Rovers and St Johnstone. He guided St Johnstone to their win in the 2014 Scottish Cup Final, which won the first major national trophy in their history; he left his role there in May 2020. Wright was appointed Kilmarnock manager in February 2021, but was sacked in December of that year. In September 2023 he was appointed as manager of Northern Ireland U21’s.
Club career
Wright was born in Ballyclare. After playing in his native Northern Ireland until he was 25, he entered English football with Newcastle United in the 1988–89 season and had a spell as first choice goalkeeper after Dave Beasant was sold to Chelsea in January 1989, but Newcastle went down to the Second Division that season.
After losing his place to Pavel Srnicek in the early 1990s, he eventually moved to Nottingham Forest where he went straight into the starting line-up, however after an injury absence he failed to regain his place from Mark Crossley. He also saw relatively little first team action in later spells at Manchester City and a number of clubs where he played on loan. Early in the 1999–2000, he returned to Newcastle on a loan deal and played for them three times.
Injuries blighted his playing career, and he found dislodging other goalkeepers, once he regained fitness, difficult or impossible.
International career
Wright won 31 caps for Northern Ireland in a ten-year period from 1989 to 1999. The high point of his Northern Ireland career was his performance in Nuremberg in 1996, as Northern Ireland earned a 1–1 draw against reigning European champions, Germany, in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification match. Wright had not played an international match in over two years prior to that point and had just returned to club action, on loan at Reading, after a prolonged injury absence.
Managerial career
Wright was first a goalkeeping coach for Norwich City but left when Glenn Roeder resigned. He was then appointed Youth Development Officer at Ballyclare Comrades. In November 2003 he made his first move into management at Limavady United{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0197-0f8e9b779104-62d3d1d5852f-1000--limavady-make-wright-move/|title=Limavady make Wright move – UEFA.com|last=uefa.com|date=14 November 2003}} and stayed for a couple of years. Wright was then appointed manager of Ballymena United and reached the County Antrim Shield against Linfield at Seaview. Wright resigned at the end of the 2007–08 season.
He was a full-time goalkeeping coach at Shamrock Rovers for the 2009 League of Ireland season under his former teammate Michael O'Neill. In September 2009 he was appointed manager of Lisburn Distillery.{{cite web|url=http://www.lisburntoday.co.uk/sport/wright_takes_over_at_whites_1_1643219|title=Wright takes over at Whites}} His first game was against his former club Ballymena United, which Lisburn won by a single goal.
=St Johnstone=
Wright left Distillery in November 2011 to become assistant manager of Scottish Premier League club St Johnstone.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15556246.stm|title=Tommy Wright resigns as Lisburn Distillery manager |publisher=BBC Sport|date=2 November 2011|access-date=2 November 2011}}
After Steve Lomas left the Perth club to manage Millwall in June 2013, Wright was promoted to manager.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22839127|title=St Johnstone appoint Tommy Wright as new manager |publisher=BBC Sport|date=10 June 2013 |access-date=10 June 2013}} Wright's first game in charge was a UEFA Europa League tie in Norway against Rosenborg. St Johnstone won 1–0, their first-ever away victory in European competition.{{cite news|title=Rosenborg 0–1 St Johnstone|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23287748|publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 July 2013|access-date=25 July 2013}} The second leg ended in a 1–1 draw, putting St Johnstone through 2–1 on aggregate, and through to the third round of the qualifying stages for the first time.{{cite news|title=St Johnstone 1–1 Rosenborg (agg 2–1)|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23352990|publisher=BBC Sport|date=25 July 2013|access-date=25 July 2013}} Despite winning 1–0 win against Minsk in the first leg of the next round, they went on to lose on penalties.{{cite news|title=St Johnstone 0 – 1 Minsk|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/2012413--st-johnstone-vs-minsk/ |publisher=UEFA |date=8 August 2013|access-date=13 April 2014}} After the match, Wright criticised Minsk, believing they lacked class in victory.{{cite news|title=St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright slams 'ungracious' Minsk |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23627537|publisher=BBC Sport|date=8 August 2013|access-date=13 April 2014}} After winning two games and drawing once in October, Wright won the Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month award.{{cite news|title=St Johnstone: Stevie May and Tommy Wright win October awards |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24943063|publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 November 2013|access-date=13 April 2014}}
In March 2014, Wright was involved in a touchline incident with Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara.{{cite news|title=Jackie McNamara and Tommy Wright issued with notices of complaint|url=http://sport.stv.tv/football/268601-jackie-mcnamara-and-tommy-wright-issued-with-notices-of-complaint/?|work=STV Sport|date=14 March 2014|access-date=13 April 2014}} This resulted a one-match ban for Wright.{{cite news |title=Jackie McNamara receives three-match ban for Tommy Wright spat |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/26976979 |access-date=7 October 2020 |work=BBC Sport |date=10 April 2014}} A few days later, Wright was taken to hospital after suffering stomach pains.{{cite news|title=St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright hospitalised|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/st-johnstone-manager-tommy-wright-hospitalised-1-3347107|work=The Scotsman|date=20 March 2014|access-date=13 April 2014}} Despite being in the hospital, Wright was still involved in the squad selection ahead of a match against Hibernian.{{cite news|title=Tommy Wright picks St Johnstone team from hospital|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/tommy-wright-picks-st-johnstone-team-from-hospital-1-3348793|work=The Scotsman|date=21 March 2014|access-date=13 April 2014}} The operation was a success, and Wright made his return in a match against Partick Thistle.{{cite news|title=St Johnstone's Tommy Wright misses game after op 'success'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26679177|publisher=BBC Sport|date=21 March 2014 |access-date=13 April 2014}}{{cite news|title=Tommy Wright set for St Johnstone return|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/st-johnstone/tommy-wright-set-for-st-johnstone-return-1.290013?|publisher=DC Thomson|work=The Courier|date=27 March 2014|access-date=13 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414153722/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/st-johnstone/tommy-wright-set-for-st-johnstone-return-1.290013|archive-date=14 April 2014}}
After Wright led the club to a top-six position in the Premiership, he guided them to their first Scottish Cup Final after a 2–1 win over Aberdeen.{{cite news|title=Scottish Cup: Stevie May the hero in St Johnstone win over Aberdeen|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26908707|publisher=BBC Sport|date=14 April 2014|access-date=13 April 2014}} They were victorious in the 17 May, Final meeting with Dundee United at Celtic Park. It was St Johnstone's first major trophy win.{{cite news|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/scottish-cup/10838315/Scottish-Cup-final-St-Johnstone-2-Dundee-United-0-match-report.html|title=St Johnstone 2–0 Dundee United|date=17 May 2014|work=Daily Telegraph |access-date=21 May 2014}} Wright signed a new contract with St Johnstone in August 2014.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28747888 |title=St Johnstone: Manager Tommy Wright signs three-year contract |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 August 2014 |access-date=11 August 2014}} He signed another contract with St Johnstone in October 2015, soon after the club had rejected an approach from Dundee United for Wright.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34504032 |title=St Johnstone: Tommy Wright signs new St Johnstone contract |publisher=BBC Sport |date=12 October 2015 |access-date=12 October 2015}}
He was voted Premiership Manager of the Season for the 2015–16 season, leading St Johnstone to another fourth-place finish{{cite web | url=http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/wright-wins-premiership-award/ | title=Wright wins Premiership award | publisher=SPFL | date=29 May 2016 | access-date=13 May 2017}} and a third domestic cup semi-final, losing out to Hibernian.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35389657 | title=Hibernian 2:1 St Johnstone | publisher=BBC Sport | date=30 January 2016 | access-date=13 May 2017}}
St Johnstone secured a third successive fourth-place finish in the Premiership in 2016–17 under Wright, with two games remaining, also qualifying for Europe again.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39909225 | title=St Johnstone: Manager Tommy Wright so proud to finish above Hearts | publisher=BBC Sport | date=13 May 2017 | access-date=13 May 2017}}
Wright resigned as St Johnstone manager on 2 May 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52513690 |title=St Johnstone: Tommy Wright quits as manager after seven years |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=2 May 2020 |access-date=2 May 2020}}
=Kilmarnock=
Wright was appointed Kilmarnock manager on 8 February 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55963647 |title=Tommy Wright: Kilmarnock appoint Northern Irishman as Alex Dyer's successor |first=John |last=Barnes |website=BBC Sport |date=8 February 2021 |accessdate=8 February 2021}} Kilmarnock finished the 2020–21 Scottish Premiership in 11th place, and were then relegated to the Championship after they lost a play-off to Dundee.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57236158 |title=Tommy Wright: Kilmarnock manager to continue despite relegation |website=BBC Sport |date=25 May 2021 |accessdate=25 May 2021}} Wright was sacked by Kilmarnock in December 2021, with the club sitting in 5th place in the Championship.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59618531|title=Kilmarnock sack Wright after game abandoned|work=BBC Sport}}
=Northern Ireland U21=
Wright was appointed Northern Ireland U21 manager on 14 August 2023
Media work
Wright from time to time does co-commentary work for BBC Northern Ireland's football coverage{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0760585|title=Northern Ireland v Slovenia, 2015/2016, Match of the Day Northern Ireland – BBC One}} as well as some punditry work for BT Sport's Scottish football coverage.https://twitter.com/BTSportSPFL/status/711561052136325120{{dead link|date=December 2017|fix-attempted=yes|bot=TweetCiteBot}}
Managerial statistics
{{updated|match played 21 November 2023}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure | |||||
| rowspan="2"|Team | rowspan="2"|From | rowspan="2"|To | colspan="6"|Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{Tooltip|G|Games managed}} | {{Tooltip|W|Games won}} | {{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}} | {{Tooltip|L|Games lost}} | {{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}} | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |
| align=left|Limavady United
|align=left|November 2003 |align=left|May 2005 {{WDL|54|23|15|16}} | | |||||
| align=left|Ballymena United
|align=left|May 2005 |align=left|April 2008 {{WDL|117|44|29|44}} | | |||||
| align=left|Lisburn Distillery
|align=left|September 2009 |align=left|November 2011 {{WDL|97|36|16|45}} | | |||||
| align=left|St Johnstone
|align=left|10 June 2013 |align=left|2 May 2020 {{WDL|309|126|67|116}} | | |||||
| align=left|Kilmarnock
|align=left|8 February 2021 |align=left|18 December 2021 {{WDL|42|20|7|15}} | | |||||
| align=left|Northern Ireland U21
|align=left|14 August 2023 |align=left|Present {{WDL|5|1|0|4}} | | |||||
| colspan=3|Total
{{WDLtot|625|250|134|241}} !— |
- Kilmarnock statistics include Scottish League Cup forfeit defeat to East Kilbride on 16 July 2021 (ineligible player in original tie in which Kilmarnock won).
Honours and achievements
=As a player=
=As a manager=
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Managerial positions
| list1 =
{{Ballymena United F.C. managers}}
{{St Johnstone F.C. managers}}
{{Kilmarnock F.C. managers}}
}}
{{Scottish Cup winning managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Tommy}}
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Association footballers from County Antrim
Category:Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland
Category:Ballymena United F.C. managers
Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players
Category:Association football managers from Northern Ireland
Category:Hull City A.F.C. players
Category:Kilmarnock F.C. managers
Category:Linfield F.C. players
Category:Lisburn Distillery F.C. managers
Category:Manchester City F.C. players
Category:Newcastle United F.C. players
Category:NIFL Premiership players
Category:Northern Ireland men's international footballers
Category:Norwich City F.C. non-playing staff
Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players
Category:People educated at Ballyclare High School
Category:People from Ballyclare
Category:Premier League players
Category:Scottish Professional Football League managers
Category:St Johnstone F.C. managers
Category:St Johnstone F.C. non-playing staff
Category:English Football League players
Category:Wrexham A.F.C. players