Boss Doswell backs Hawks striker Tommy Wright to hit 30 goals this season

Tommy Wright celebrates his FA Cup goal for Hawks at Bath City. Pic: Kieron Louloudis.

Manager Paul Doswell has confidence his leading scorer can reach that milestone figure if he stays fit for the remainder of the campaign.

But no matter how many goals he ends up getting this season, the Hawks boss says the 'unusual' forward's head would not be turned by any potential interest in him come the summer.

Striker Jonah Ayunga departed Westleigh Park last July for League One side Bristol Rovers on the back of hitting 23 goals in 2019/20.

Tommy Wright scores Hawks' National League South winner against Oxford City in November. Pic: Dave Haines.

But Doswell insisted Wright, who has already netted 12 times with more than two thirds of the season to play, will almost certainly be staying put - even if he equalled or bettered Ayunga’s tally.

The 24-year-old Wright linked up with Hawks in the summer after a tough spell with Sutton United where he struggled with mental health issues.

Wright, who had been signed by Doswell for Sutton from Hampshire Premier League club Otterbourne in 2015, took some time out of the game before linking up with Hawks prior to Ayunga departing.

Doswell says the striker's 'closeness' with himself, CEO Stuart Munro, who is his godfather, and club analyst Scott Munro has got him enjoying his football again.

Tommy Wright celebrates after scoring on his competitive Hawks debut against Horsham in the FA Cup in early October. Pic: Dave Haines.

‘I’m absolutely delighted for him,' said the manager.

‘He’s close to me and our family. I’ve known him since he was a young boy from around the age of six or seven.

'He (Tommy) has had serious issues and I wouldn’t say sat here today that they’ve all gone away.

‘The thing is with our group of players, we’re all very close, I think Tommy needed to be around people that he trusted and knew well.

'I think Man United could come in for him and, knowing Tommy, he wouldn’t want to go anywhere.

'He’s a talent and at the moment he wouldn’t go anywhere else, not for football reasons, but for mental health reasons he’ll want to stay close to myself, Stuart and Scott Munro, who’s our analyst and Stuart’s son.

‘Where he is at the moment in his life, he just wants to enjoy his football. He’s very unusual in the sense he’s not looking to play for a Man United, he just wants to be happy.

'He’s got 12 goals and we’re a quarter of a way through the season, so if he keeps going he’s on for 40.

‘He’ll get 30 (goals), I suspect he’ll get 30 if he stays fit, which he normally does.'

Due to the Hawks squad having to twice self-isolate in quick succession due to positive Covid cases in the camp, Wright has only played once since December 19.

That was against Hungerford on January 2, where he scored Hawks’ final goal in a 4-2 victory with a shot which took a deflection on its way in.

Wright has scored eight National League South goals, three in the FA Cup and one in the FA Trophy.

Only Dorking's Jason Prior (12), Hungerford's Ryan Seager (12) and Billericay’s Jake Robinson (10) have scored more NL South goals this season.

Wright’s most prolific National League season was in 2017/18, when he netted 13 times for Sutton as they reached the play-offs.

Prior to that, Wright belted as astonishing 50 league and cup goals, including 11 penalties, while on loan to Salisbury in the 2016/17 campaign.

Hawks have still to agree a fee with Sutton for the player, with the transfer almost certainly going to have to be decided by a tribunal.

The same scenario applies to Joe Iaciofano following his move from St Albans last summer.