Craig Bryson
Craig James Bryson is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Bryson is now a strength and conditioning coach with Kilmarnock FC Women, in addition to owning a gym based in Kilmarnock called Total Fitness.
Bryson began his career at Scottish First Division club Clyde, for whom he made his professional debut in 2004. He moved to Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock in 2007 before being bought by Derby County in 2011. At Derby, Bryson twice won the club's Player of the Year Award in 2012 and 2014. He was also named to the PFA Championship Team of the Year in 2014. He became the first Derby player to score a hat-trick against their fierce rivals Nottingham Forest in 116 years when he did so in a 5–0 win in March 2014.
Bryson was loaned to Cardiff City during the 2017–18 season and left Derby in 2019 to sign for Aberdeen. After stints with St Johnstone and Stenhousemuir, he retired from playing in September 2022. He also played in three full international matches for Scotland between 2010 and 2016.
Club career
Clyde
2003–04 season
Born in Rutherglen, Bryson began his career with non-league side Westwood Rovers. He signed a professional contract with Scottish First Division club Clyde at the beginning of the 2003–04 season. He turned down the opportunity to sign for Scottish Premiership club Motherwell because he wanted to play regular first-team football, and he didn't feel that he would get that at Motherwell. He didn't make a first-team appearance that season but was loaned out to junior outfit East Kilbride Thistle for the latter part of the season. He made a big impression in his time at East Kilbride, scoring two goals in eight league appearances and winning the club's Young Player of the Year award.2004–05 season
Bryson made his first team debut for Clyde in the 2004–05 season in a Scottish First Division match against Raith Rovers on 14 August 2004, and scored a goal after 4 minutes in a match Clyde won 3–2. He was rewarded with a new two-year contract in November 2004 and his good form at club level saw him called up to the Scotland under-19 team for a friendly against Germany. In February 2004, Bryson scored in a 2–1 victory over Ross County in a Scottish Cup replay, which set up a quarter-final tie against Celtic, the team he supported as a boy. Bryson started against Celtic and thought he had scored after hitting the back of the net from a long-range strike, but this goal was controversially ruled out after the referee blew his whistle to award a free kick to Clyde. Celtic went on to win 5–0. Bryson continued his good form over the season, winning Clyde's Young Player of the Year Award for 2004–05.2005–06 season
During the 2005–06 season, Bryson scored goals against both halves of the Old Firm. In September 2005, he scored Clyde's equalising goal against Rangers in a Scottish League Cup tie at Ibrox Stadium, in a 5–2 extra time defeat. In January 2006, Bryson scored the opener in the famous 2–1 Scottish Cup win over holders Celtic, the game in which Roy Keane made his Celtic debut. Bryson nodded the ball into an open net to make it 1–0 after a cross from Eddie Malone evaded the Celtic defence. The win and his performance brought him to prominence and he was subsequently linked with moves to Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur and was called up to the Scotland under-21 side.2006–07 season
In the 2006–07 season, in October 2006, Bryson scored in a 3–1 victory over Greenock Morton in a Scottish Challenge Cup semi-final, which sent Clyde to their first major final in 48 years. Bryson started the final the following month against Ross County, which Clyde lost on penalties. Bryson, along with clubmate Neil McGregor, was selected for the SPFA First Division Team of the Year. Bryson's contract expired at the end of the season, and in January 2007, Billy Davies, then-manager of his future club Derby County, took him on a week's trial. However, Davies decided not to sign him permanently. In February, Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock approached Bryson and in May, Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies confirmed that talks were ongoing. Bryson had rejected Clyde's offer of a new contract and thus left Clyde at the end of the 2006–07 season, having made 114 appearances in all competitions, scoring 12 goal.Kilmarnock
2007–08 season
Bryson signed for Kilmarnock in July 2007 on a free transfer ahead of the 2007–08 season. As he was under the age of 24, Kilmarnock had to pay Clyde compensation, which was agreed upon between the two clubs in September. Bryson started 16 league games and came on as a substitute in 3 more, making his league debut for the club as a 71st-minute substitute against St Mirren on 22 September 2007. He almost scored in the 88th minute, but his powerful shot was well held by St Mirren keeper Chris Smith and the match finished 0–0.He scored his first goals for the club in a 3–1 victory against Aberdeen on 24 February 2008: the first a volley at the far post from 7 yards out in the 14th minute and the second was a close-range finish from an "almost identical position" in the 75th minute. Sandwiched between his goals, he provided an assist for centre half Frazer Wright, who, up for a corner at the end of the first half, headed Bryson's cross in. For his efforts, Bryson was named man of the match and won the plaudits of his manager Jim Jefferies, who said: "Craig's whole game was terrific and if he keeps playing like that we've got a real player on our hands. It was a top performance by him and for me he was the best player on the pitch by a mile." He scored twice more and was again named man of the match in a 4–1 win against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 22 March. His first goal, a "terrific" 25-yard shot in the 50th minute, was followed by a 56th-minute effort that he drilled into the net via a deflection off a defender.
2008–09 season
During the 2008–09 season, Bryson established himself as an important first team player, making thirty-three league appearances, thirty-one of them starts. His first goal of the season came in a Scottish League Cup second round match against Brechin City on 27 August 2008. Described variously as "stunning", "unstoppable", "sublime" and "a thunderbolt", he scored the second in a 2–0 win when he received a cross from Garry Hay and flicked the ball into the top corner. His next two goals were late winners in successive matches: on 4 October, in a 2–1 win at the Hearts he made a well-timed run into the box in the 82nd minute to collect a return pass from Donovan Simmonds and finish well into the bottom corner; and then on 18 October, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win at home to Motherwell, slipping the ball into the net at the far post in the 89th minute after a deflected shot-cum-cross from Jamie Hamill. Manager Jim Jefferies praised Bryson after the win over the Hearts, saying his late run into the box and finish were comparable to a move by Colin Cameron. He was also named man of the match after the win over Motherwell.He was rewarded for his fine form in December 2008 with an extension to his contract that ran until the summer of 2013.
2009–10 season
During the 2009–10 season, Bryson was appointed captain by manager Jimmy Calderwood. Calderwood had originally given Manuel Pascali the armband after he took over in January 2010, but changed his mind shortly after and gave it to Bryson, wanting Pascali to concentrate on his football.Bryson ended the season with 4 league goals: a 90th minute consolation in a 2–1 defeat at home to Hearts on 28 November 2009; Kilmarnock's 4th and the 7th in the match in a 4–4 draw with Dundee United on 30 January 2010 – a "stunning volley" that manager Jimmy Calderwood said was "fit to win any game"; the only goal in a 1–0 win over Falkirk on 10 February; and a deflected cross that came off a Celtic defender in a 3–1 defeat at Celtic Park on 27 March. Kilmarnock finished the season in 11th place, 2 points above Falkirk, who were relegated after a 0–0 draw at Kilmarnock on the final day of the season.
2010–11 season
At the end of the 2009–10 season, Bryson was linked with a move to Hearts, who were managed by Jim Jefferies, who had signed Bryson when he was manager of Kilmarnock. Bryson said: "we'll wait and see if anything materialises over the summer. Jim Jefferies signed me from Clyde and gave me my chance in the SPL and I'm grateful to him for that. I enjoyed working under him at Kilmarnock and wouldn't mind working under him again. Every player has ambitions to play at the highest level and I'm no different so we'll just wait and see if an offer comes in but I'm happy at Killie just now." Hearts were prepared to offer £300,000 but Kilmarnock valued Bryson at closer to £500,000 and talks between the two clubs collapsed. Hearts turned their attention to their former midfielder Paul Hartley, whose contract with English Championship club Bristol City was about to expire. However, they dropped their interest in Hartley after he refused to distance himself from criticism of Hearts' majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov during his first stint with the club. Hearts thus turned their attention back to Bryson and gave Kilmarnock a final "take-it-or-leave-it" offer, which included a "significant sell-on clause" but not an increased transfer fee. The offer was rejected. Hearts returned with two more bids on transfer deadline day, which were also rejected. Bryson said that he was "relieved the window has now closed... It's nice that other clubs want you, it shows you must be doing well, but it's not to be just now and I'll carry on doing well for Kilmarnock."Kimarnock expected Hearts to make another attempt to sign Bryson in the January transfer window, but Bryson suffered an ankle injury that ended any potential move for him.
Derby County
2011–12 season
At the end of the 2010–11 season, it was reported that Brighton & Hove Albion, Derby County, Hull City and Leicester City were interested in signing Bryson, with Derby the favourites to sign him and Bryson himself only interested in moving to Derby. After Kilmarnock rejected two bids for Bryson from Derby, on 4 June 2011, it was confirmed that the two clubs had agreed a fee. Bryson signed for Derby on a three-year contract on 9 June, which went through on 1 July following the re-opening of the transfer window. The fee was speculated to be £350,000, rising to £450,000 after add-on clauses. Derby manager Nigel Clough called Bryson a "tremendous signing" and "a leader on and off the field" with "energy and ability in abundance". Bryson expressed his happiness at moving to Derby, saying that:Bryson made a strong start to his Derby career, despite a pre-season disrupted by injury, scoring the winner with his first Derby goal in a 1–0 victory at Blackpool and helping the side to four straight victories from opening day – the club's best season start for 106 years. He scored his first goal at Pride Park in a 3–0 victory over Millwall. Derby enjoyed a fine first quarter to the season and found themselves fourth in the table, with manager Nigel Clough singling out Bryson as the top performer of the season so far. His third goal of the season came in his man of the match performance in Derby's 3–1 win over Portsmouth, which also saw him named in the Championship team of the week. He scored against Bristol City in a 2–1 home win for Derby on 10 December 2011, tapping in from close range and scored in the 1–1 reverse fixture at Ashton Gate Stadium on 31 March 2012, with a side-foot finish. Bryson scored his sixth goal of the season in a 2–0 win at Leeds United a 25-yard curling shot which beat Leeds 'keeper Andy Lonergan. These goals cemented Bryson's place as Derby's third top scorer during the season, behind strikers Steve Davies and Theo Robinson. Bryson was a regular in the Derby team during the season, where he missed only 3 of the 49 games Derby played. Bryson's form was rewarded by winning the fans Player of the Season award. Bryson also won the Club & Supporter's Club player of the year awards.