Kilmarnock’s new signing wants to prove he’s made of the Wright stuff.
Joe Wright joins the Rugby Park side after six seasons at Doncaster, but he’s had a difficult time of it for the last year.
He injured his ACL before his ankle injuries which left him out the full of last season.
The injury halted a chance of moving to Hearts last year; he went on trial at Tynecastle this summer but Robbie Neilson decided against signing the 6ft 4in centre back.
And now after being convinced to join Killie, Wright is determined to show what he can do.
He said: “Prior to my injury I was due to go up there [Hearts]. I had an open invite to go back once I was fit.
“I had a week there before I joined Killie and played quite a few games which was good for me to get game time.
“It was a useful week. They were probably looking for something a bit different. The manager there was really good – he spoke with me throughout my injury, but it just wasn’t what they were looking for at the time.
“They’ve made a couple of other central defensive signings so I’m just looking forward to playing here.”
He added: “Before last season I got injured at Doncaster and it was after the last year of my contract.
“They had an obligation to put me through rehab and they were brilliant helping me get back to fitness, but I was out of contract so I was able to sign here.
“It was an ACL then an ankle and I was out a full season so I’m champing at the bit to play some games, and get some minutes under my belt.
“It was a good test mentally for me – especially doing it out of contract.
“But I’ve got a really good support network with my family. Doncaster also had some injury problems last season – that helped me because they were long-term ones and there was a little group of us in the gym all trying to get back fit at the same time.”
Wright admits he has a few pals who played in Scotland which enticed him to come up here, and also the lure of Derek McInnes was too much to turn down.
He said: “I know Matt Crooks and Josh Windass who were at Rangers, they were both in my youth team. Will Boyle had a stint here (at Killie), he was here as well.
“I was open-minded about coming here, I was desperate for a new challenge. I’d been at Doncaster for quite some time and I wanted a new challenge, something fresh.
“The gaffer here has had really good success in the league with Aberdeen, he’s obviously an ambitious person and I like to think I am as well.
“Hopefully we can be at the right end of the league and play some nice football. My agent has Scottish family and he speaks well of the football here so I think it’ll be good for me.”
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