Akil Wright is on the move this summer, joining Scottish Premiership side Ross County from Stockport County on a three-year deal according to the club’s official website.
The versatile defender, who can also play in midfielder was under contract at Edgeley Park and will be joining the Scottish side for a fee, albeit that is an undisclosed one. It does comes as a bit of a surprise, not least due to the length of the deal.
Having been somewhat of a mainstay in the Stockport squad for the majority of the first half of the season, Wright would finish the term with 27 appearances to his name. That was largely down to a hamstring injury suffered against Grimsby in mid-February, an injury which would in fact keep the defender out for the rest of the season.
County would still get the job done, gaining promotion to League One after failing just short the season prior. They’d fend off some serious competition from both Wrexham as well as Mansfield Town to win the title, and they’re certainly a club who are currently on the up under manager Dave Challinor.
Wright is a player who has continued to progress under Challinor and he’s had two strong seasons with the Hatters. Prior to joining the now-League One side, he’d shine for then-National League North side York City and also had previous National League experience with Wrexham.
The 28-year-old would make 89 fifth tier appearances for the Red Dragons over a three-season spell between 2017 and 2020. He’d help them to the 2018/19 National League play-offs, albeit to lose to Eastleigh in the eliminator after extra-time.
Wrexham will in fact once again be in the same league as Wright’s last side, Stockport, with the Welsh outfit also gaining automatic promotion to England’s third tier. Much like there fellow League One side, they are also now a mightily ambitious club and may well continue their upwards trajectory.
Wright’s departure is a bit of a loss for Stockport as he had proved himself as an asset in League Two. The fact that they have managed to get a fee for him is an example of some good business by the club however, and they can then use that to address other issues in the squad.
Writer’s View
Given he was a part of their title-winning squad, they’ll be plenty of Hatters fans who will be sad to see the 28-year-old go this summer. However, given he has no experience of playing in the third tier, and the sale benefitting the club, there are some positives that can be taken from his departure.
His versatility was heavily utilised across his two season spell under Challinor and had also been relied upon during his spell at Wrexham where he’d play in a number of positions.
Ross County are maybe taking a bit of a punt here, especially on a three-year deal, but Wright can provide cover across various areas and potentially hasn’t reached his ceiling just yet.
Senior Editor