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Ross County boss Malky Mackay challenges striker Matthew Wright to make most of loan spell with Elgin City

Wright has made a temporary switch to Borough Briggs, where he has netted once in his opening five games.

Matthew Wright celebrates scoring his first Elgin City goal with Brian Cameron. Image: Bob Crombie.
Matthew Wright celebrates scoring his first Elgin City goal with Brian Cameron. Image: Bob Crombie.

Malky Mackay hopes Matthew Wright can return to Ross County a more complete forward following his loan stint with Elgin City.

Wright made the temporary switch to Borough Briggs during the summer, in search of regular game time.

The 20-year-old spent the first half of last season on loan with League One side Montrose, netting six goals in 19 appearances.

That attracted the attention of title-chasing Falkirk, which resulted in him making the switch in January.

It was to prove a less successful spell at the Bairns, however, with Wright making just two starts and 12 sub appearances, netting once.

Matthew Wright in action for Falkirk against Ayr United. Image: SNS

Wright has started all four League Two matches since making the move to Elgin, with one goal to his name so far.

Mackay hopes Wright, who hails from Point on the Isle of Lewis, can kick on under new Black and Whites boss Barry Smith.

Mackay said: “Matty is someone I have got great admiration for. He’s a great young man, that I have known as long as I have been here.

“He scored an awful lot of goals at youth level, then went out on loan to the Highland League and did the same.

“We put him to Montrose and he did fine, and he obviously then got the second half of the season at Falkirk.

“It was maybe just a little too high a step at that point, but he came back in for pre-season, trained well and scored a couple of good goals in pre-season.

“We had a chat and decided this summer having him local, training with us with the ability to play league football up at Elgin, with good people, would be best.”

Matthew Wright (right) celebrates completing his hat-trick in a friendly against Nairn County. Image: Jasperimage.

Wright needs to ‘add strings to his bow as a centre forward’

After returning from his loan spell last season, Wright was part of County’s pre-season preparations.

He netted an impressive hat-trick in the Staggies’ first friendly, when they defeated Nairn County 3-1 at Station Park. 

Wright has made eight substitute appearances for the Dingwall side so far, with his most memorable moment coming when he netted a late equaliser in a 3-3 draw against Rangers in January 2022.

Matthew Wright celebrates netting for Ross County against Rangers. Image: Shutterstock.

Mackay says Wright needs to use the loan spell to enhance parts of his all-round game, with a view towards him pushing for a place in County’s first team.

He added: “It is up to him go and show, day-to-day, he is a centre-forward who can lead the line and is the man who not only scores goals, but adds strings to his bow as a centre-forward.

“That’s what he is doing at the moment, and with him being in Elgin, it means he is still training with us every day.”

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