Craig James Bryson (born 6 November 1986) is a Scottish former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

. Bryson is now a strength and conditioning coach with Kilmarnock FC Women, in addition to owning a gym based in

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...

called Total Fitness. Bryson began his career at

Scottish First Division The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. It was replaced by the Scottish Championship. History The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 in Scottish footb ...

club Clyde, for whom he made his professional debut in 2004. He moved to

Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the Scottish football league system, top-level league competition for professional Association football, football clubs in Scotland. The league was founded in 1998, when it broke away from the Scottish Foo ...

club

in 2007 before being bought by

Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...

in 2011. At Derby, Bryson twice won the club's

Player of the Year Award Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is held on b ...

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 Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...

in 116 years when he did so in a 5–0 win in March 2014. Bryson was loaned to

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...

during the 2017–18 season and left Derby in 2019 to sign for

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

. After stints with St Johnstone and

Stenhousemuir Stenhousemuir (; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west, where the nearest rail access is located ...

, he retired from playing in September 2022. He also played in three full international matches for

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

between 2010 and 2016.

Club career

Clyde

2003–04 season

Born in

Rutherglen Rutherglen (; , ) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having previously existed as a separate Lanarkshire burgh, in 1975 Rutherglen lo ...

, Bryson began his career with non-league side Westwood Rovers. He signed a professional contract with

club Clyde at the beginning of the 2003–04 season. He turned down the opportunity to sign for

Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, also known as the William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Scotland and the highest level of the Scottish football league system. Th ...

club

Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...

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

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 The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

, 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 The Old Firm is a collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply embedded i ...

. In September 2005, he scored Clyde's equalising goal against

Rangers A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...

in a

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...

tie at

Ibrox Stadium Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of Scottish Premiership team Rangers, Ibrox is the third-largest football stadium in Scotland, with an all-seated ca ...

, in a 5–2 extra time defeat. In January 2006, Bryson scored the opener in the famous 2–1

, the game in which

Roy Keane Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, former coach, and former professional player. He is best known for his career in the Premier League, in particular his captaincy of Manchester United. He is the joint most ...

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 Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...

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 Greenock Morton Football Club is a Scottish professional football club, which plays in the . The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest Scottish clubs. Morton was renamed Greenock Morton in 1994 to celebr ...

in a

Scottish Challenge Cup The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup, Bryson started the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

the following month against Ross County, which Clyde lost on penalties. Bryson, along with clubmate

Neil McGregor Neil McGregor (born 17 July 1985) is a Scottish former football defender who has previously played in the Scottish Premier League for Dundee. He last played for Kilwinning Rangers in the 2023–24 season. Career McGregor began his career ...

, 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,

club

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 A goal or objective is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan, and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. A goal is roughly similar to ...

Kilmarnock

2007–08 season

Bryson signed for

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

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 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, Inverness CT or just Inverness, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team competes in , the third tier of the Scottish Professional Footba ...

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

second round match against

Brechin City Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the townDespite the name of the football club, Brechin is not an official city. Brechin was historically known as a city because it has a cathedral. of Brechin in Angus. The club w ...

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

, 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.Bryson staying at Kilmarnock until 2013
''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...

'', 11 December 2008.

2009–10 season

During the 2009–10 season, Bryson was appointed

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

by manager

Jimmy Calderwood James Calderwood (28 February 1955 – 19 January 2025) was a Scottish football player and manager. Calderwood played for Birmingham City and Dutch clubs Sparta Rotterdam, Willem II Tilburg, Roda JC and Heracles Almelo. After retiring as a pl ...

. 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 Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...

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 Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...

on 10 February; and a deflected cross that came off a

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

defender in a 3–1 defeat at

Celtic Park Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...

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 Paul Hartley (born 19 October 1976) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the manager of Scottish League One side Cove Rangers. As a player, Hartley won trophies with both Hearts and C ...

, whose contract with English Championship club

Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...

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 Vladimir Nikolayevich Romanov ( rus, Владимир Николаевич Романов, p=vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ rɐˈmanəf; ; born 15 June 1947)

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 Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...

Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...

and

Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

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 Nigel Howard Clough (born 19 March 1966) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Mansfield Town. Playing predominantly as a forward, but later in his career used as a midfielder, Clough was capped by ...

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 Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of 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 Pride Park is a business park on the southern outskirts of the city centre of Derby, England. It covers 80 hectares of contaminated former industrial land between the River Derwent and railway lines, and was developed between the 1990s and ear ...

in a 3–0 victory over

Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...

. 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 Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

, which also saw him named in the Championship team of the week. He scored against

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 Ashton Gate is a multi-use stadium in Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol City F.C. and the Bristol Bears rugby union team. Located in the south-west of the city, just south of the River Avon, it currently has an all-se ...

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 Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...

a 25-yard curling shot which beat Leeds 'keeper

Andy Lonergan Andrew Michael Lonergan (born 19 October 1983) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. Lonergan is a former England U21 international and is also eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland. After starting his career a ...

. 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.

2012–13 season

Bryson was a regular in the Derby side at the start of the 2012–13 season, however the season was disrupted by a knee injury which ruled him out of several games. Bryson return three weeks earlier than expected as he started and scored in a 2–0 win at

however Nigel Clough stated he was not fully fit and was doubt for the next game. Bryson was able to start the next three games, but missed the game at home to

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...

on 1 January 2013 after picking scar tissue on his hamstring. Bryson returned to the team in mid-January and despite picking up a re-occurrence of his injury in early March, Bryson soon regained his place in the side and his performance alongside midfield partner

Jeff Hendrick Jeffrey Patrick Hendrick (born 31 January 1992) is an Irish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Derby County F.C., Derby County. He will become a free agent on 1 July 2025. Hendrick spent his child ...

in Derby's 3–0 win over

on 29 March earned them both praise from first team coach Andy Garner. Bryson was named the 84th best player in the

2012–13 Football League Championship The 2012–13 Football League Championship (known as the npower Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the ninth season of the league under its current title and twentieth season under its current league division format. The season began on 1 ...

by the Actim Index and it was confirmed in May 2013 that the club were in talks to extend his contract at Pride Park, with Bryson signing a new three-year contract later that month.

2013–14 season

Ahead of the 2013–14 season, Bryson was expected to compete with

Paul Coutts Paul Alexander Coutts (born 22 July 1988) is a Scottish footballer who plays for club Inverurie Loco Works. A product of the Scottish Highland Football League, Coutts' first senior professional club was his home town club, Cove Rangers who ar ...

and

Will Hughes William James Hughes (born 17 April 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club Crystal Palace. Having graduated a scholarship with Derby County, Hughes made his first team breakthrough during the 2 ...

for a central midfield role. Manager Nigel Clough stated his intention to rotate the squad, saying that it was "lovely to have that healthy competition" for places. In the event of the season, Bryson was an ever-present in the starting line-up in the league until the 32nd fixture. His first goal of the season came in a 3–0 win at

Yeovil Town Yeovil Town may refer to: * Yeovil, a town in Somerset, England, with a council named Yeovil Town * Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset * Yeovil Town W.F.C., an English women's football team affiliated with Yeovil T ...

on 24 August, which was quickly followed up by his first career hat-trick in a 5–1 win at

on 14 September, which was also the first league hat-trick by a Derby player since Paul Simpson in April 1996. After a 1–0 defeat at

, with the club having won only once in the last six matches, having failed to win at home, and lying in 14th place, manager Nigel Clough was sacked. Bryson was saddened by the move, saying it came as a "shock", adding that Clough "has been excellent for me, he brought me down from Scotland and gave me my chance in England. So obviously I was sad to see him go. But it happens in football and you just have to get on with it." Clough was replaced by

Steve McClaren Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English football coach and former player who is currently the manager of the Jamaica national team. McClaren began his coaching career with Oxford United, before joining Derby County in 1995. In 1999 ...

and Bryson said that he was looking forward to working with the new manager. The next game was at home against

Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The club currently competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Ipswich Town were founded in 1878 but did not turn ...

, with academy manager

Darren Wassall Darren Paul James Wassall (born 27 June 1968) is an English football coach and former player who played as a defender. He was the academy director of Derby County from 2009 until 2023; he was also the club's head coach on a temporary basis duri ...

in charge and McClaren watching from the stands. Bryson captained the side for the first time in the match and Derby ended the first half 4–1 down, but after a half-time team talk from McClaren, who also made two substitutions, Derby came back to draw 4–4, with Bryson scoring twice, including the last, an 88th-minute equaliser. After a two-month barren spell, Bryson scored five goals in six games: one each in a 3–1 win at

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

, in a 5–1 win against

, in a 2–0 win at

Charlton Charlton may refer to: People * Charlton (surname) * Charlton (given name) Places Australia * Charlton, Queensland * Charlton, Victoria * Division of Charlton, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in New South Wales ...

, in a 3–1 win against

Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...

and in a 1–1 draw at

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...

. This coincided with an unbeaten run that saw ''The Rams'' win 8 and draw 1 out of 9 matches, moving from 11th in the table to 2nd. He did however miss the 1–0 home win over

AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...

on 22 February, the first and only league match he missed all season. His goal against Huddersfield coming on Boxing Day, Bryson didn't score again until 28 January 2014, getting the 2nd in a 3–2 win at home to Yeovil Town. He next scored on 22 March, netting a hat-trick against Derby's local rivals

in a 5–0 win, becoming the first Derby player to score a hat-trick against Forest since

Steve Bloomer Stephen Bloomer (20 January 1874 – 16 April 1938) was an England international footballer and manager who played for Derby County – becoming their record goalscorer – and Middlesbrough. The anthem " Steve Bloomer's Watchin'" is played a ...

in 1898 and earning a recall to the Scotland squad. His final goal of the season came in a 3–1 win at Blackpool on 8 April. Overall, he scored 16 goals as Derby finished 3rd and qualified for the

play-offs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

. He started the semi-final first leg, a 2–1 win at

, but was substituted in the 89th minute with a back injury, and missed the second leg, a 4–1 win that sent Derby through to the final. He recovered in time for the

play-off final The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

against

Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...

, but was named to the bench as the form of Will Hughes and Jeff Hendrick meant they kept their places. He came on for Hughes in the 68th minute and almost scored but for a good save from QPR keeper

Robert Green Robert Paul Green (born 18 January 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played in the Premier League and Football League and for the England national team. Green made his first-team debut for Norwi ...

. Derby went on to lose the game 1–0. Bryson's performances throughout the campaign earned him the Derby County Player of the Year award and a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Season, alongside fellow Derby midfielder Will Hughes.

2014–15 season

In June 2014, Derby rejected an offer from

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

for Bryson. Bryson was however given permission to speak to Burnley, later saying that "it doesn't matter what team it is, when someone puts an offer in for you I think you owe them the respect to sit down and speak to them... but just because I did that didn't mean I was going to sign for them." Soon afterwards, he agreed a new five-year contract with Derby, saying that his bond with the fans was part of the reason that he chose to stay: "I've got a good bond with the fans as well and that was a big part in my decision to stay here. The fans have been excellent ever since I walked through the door. When you come to a new club it can take time to win over the fans, but they have been fantastic with me... they helped me make the biggest decision of my career, if not my life. I took a while to think about it and I knew it would be a massive decision. I went through stages where one minute I thought I was leaving and then the next minute I think I'm staying. But in the end it turned out to be an easy decision for me because Derby are such a great club to be part of." Bryson played 38 league matches in the 2014–15 season, but it was an inconsistent one for him: only 25 of them were starts and he only scored five goals: the second in a 5–1 win against Fulham on 23 August 2014, an 84th-minute equaliser in a 2–2 draw against Cardiff City on 20 September, an 81st-minute winner in a 2–1 victory at Watford, the consolation in a 3–1 League Cup defeat to Chelsea on 16 December and a 3rd-minute opener in a 4–0 win at home to Blackpool on 14 April 2015. After starting 14 of the first 15 league matches, he picked up an injury in a 2–1 defeat to Brentford on 1 November and was out for three weeks. He came off the bench in the game against Watford to score a "stunning" winner but found himself on the bench for the next game, a 2–0 defeat to Leeds, before starting five of the next six matches: a 3–0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion, a 2–0 defeat to Middlesbrough, the 3–1 defeat to Chelsea, a 2–2 draw against Norwich City on 20 December and a 2–0 win against Leeds on 30 December. He missed the 4–0 win against Birmingham City on Boxing Day with a calf problem, having come off in the 74th minute against Norwich. He played 90 minutes of the following match, a 1–0 FA Cup win against Southport on 3 January 2015, but then found himself on the sidelines for the rest of the season, behind

and

Omar Mascarell Omar Mascarell González (born 2 February 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club RCD Mallorca, Mallorca. Formed at Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid, where he made one first-team appearance, he also p ...

in the pecking order for the three central midfield places. Of his next 11 League appearances, 9 of them came from the bench and the two that he did start ended in 2–1 defeats for ''The Rams'': against Nottingham Forest on 17 January and against Reading on 14 February. Bryson finally returned to the starting XI on 17 March in a 1–0 defeat to Middlesbrough and started five of the next six matches, missing only the 2–0 win against Wigan on 6 April with a calf problem. However, his fifth start from those six matches would prove to be his last of the season. He was taken off in the 9th minute of the 4–4 draw against Huddersfield Town on 18 April with a thigh injury and missed the final two matches of the season. Having been top of the table in late February, a run of two wins from the last thirteen matches saw Derby finish eighth, a single point off the playoffs, and manager Steve McClaren sacked.

2015–16 season

Bryson's start to the season was hampered by an injury which he picked up in the opening game of the season away to Bolton Wanderers on 8 August. He was taken off in the 21st minute suffering from what was later revealed to be a stretched ligament on the inside of his knee and was ruled out for 2 to 4 weeks. However, he was ruled out for longer than first thought; six weeks later, new Derby manager

Paul Clement Paul Drew Clement (born June 24, 1966) is an American attorney who served as United States Solicitor General, U.S. Solicitor General from 2005 to 2008 and is known for his advocacy before the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Cou ...

reported that Bryson was still feeling some discomfort in his knee, which meant he was "finding some things difficult to do relating to shooting and long passing". A week later, on 1 October, Clement revealed that Bryson had had injections in his knee to speed up the healing process and would thus miss training for a fortnight to allow his knee to settle. Clement said that "I think we all underestimated the severity of the injury he picked up on the opening day just because of his character. He wanted to push and push to get back as soon as possible but you have to allow the healing process to take place." Bryson returned to training on 16 October, played 90 minutes in an under-21 match against Newcastle United on 26 October and finally made his return to first team action on 31 October, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute for new signing

Jacob Butterfield Jacob Luke Butterfield (born 10 June 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National League club Gateshead. Butterfield came through the youth academy at Barnsley and went on to establish himself as a first te ...

in a 3–0 win against Rotherham. On the final day of the summer transfer window of 2017, Bryson joined fellow Championship side

on a season-long loan deal. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 win against

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

on 23 September 2017. He was offered a new contract by Derby County at the end of the 2018–19 season, but instead agreed a pre-contract with

Aberdeen

Bryson's Aberdeen career was hampered by injury, playing only 6 games at the start of the 2019–20 season due to an ankle injury. In August 2020 he was one of eight Aberdeen players who received a suspended three-match ban from the

Scottish FA The Scottish Football Association (; also known as the Scottish FA and the SFA) is the governing body of football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to s ...

after they breached coronavirus-related restrictions by visiting a bar earlier in the month. On 9 September 2020, Bryson departed

via mutual consent.

St Johnstone

A week after leaving Aberdeen, Bryson signed with St Johnstone on a contract to the end of the 2020–21 season. Bryson would enjoy success with St Johnstone, lifting both the

and the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2020–21 season. In December 2021 however, Bryson would suffer an ankle injury against

which would require surgery and end his season.

Stenhousemuir

In June 2022 following the end of his contract with St Johnstone, Bryson decided to go part-time and sign a one-year deal with

Scottish League Two The Scottish League Two, known as William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill League Two for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional association football, foo ...

side

. Bryson retired from playing football in September 2022.

International career

Bryson was capped by

at under-19 and under-21 level while with Clyde. He was called up for a Scotland B match in 2009 but was later withdrawn at the request of his club manager Jim Jefferies. On 16 November 2010, Bryson made his full international debut as a second-half substitute against the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

Pittodrie Pittodrie Stadium, commonly referred to as Pittodrie, from which the surrounding residential area has taken its name, is an all-seater stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. Used primarily for football, it has been the home ground of the Scottish Profess ...

. Bryson's form for Derby saw him recalled to the squad for a friendly against the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in May 2012, but he did not play. In 2013, Bryson was recalled to the senior squad for

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

qualifiers against

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

and

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

in September and

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

in October, but did not get any match time. He started a friendly against

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

Molde Molde () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town and the seat of Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Pen ...

on 20 November to gain his second cap for his country. He was also called up for a post-season friendly against

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, but while Derby teammates

Chris Martin Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and producer. He is best known as the vocalist, pianist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Martin went to University Colleg ...

and Craig Forsyth made their debuts, Bryson did not come off the substitutes bench.

Style of play

Bryson plays in central midfield and describes himself as a " box-to-box central midfielder, who will always give 100% for the team." Bryson scored 16 league goals for Derby in the 2013–14 season, which was more than he had scored in any of his previous three seasons combined. He put this improvement down to manager Steve McClaren: "he's changed the formation slightly and I have more freedom to get in the box and support Chris

artin Artin may refer to: * Artin (name), a surname and given name, including a list of people with the name ** Artin, a variant of Harutyun Harutyun ( and in Western Armenian Յարութիւն) also spelled Haroutioun, Harutiun and its variants Har ...

We are a good partnership." Scotland manager

Gordon Strachan Gordon David Strachan ( born 9 February 1957) is a Scottish former football coach and player who is currently Technical Director of Dundee. He played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Sc ...

hailed the understanding between the two when he called them up for a friendly with Nigeria in May 2014: "When you look at the link-up between

and Bryson, I think it's 40-odd goals they've scored between them. It's a smashing partnership." Martin himself said of his partnership with Bryson in May 2014: "I think people must hate playing against him, because I certainly would. I wouldn't want to mark him. People can't stay with him, he's got that much energy. From my point of view, he helps my game, because he takes people away and runs in behind. It makes it easier for me to play, because he's always there next to me."

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Clyde *

Scottish Challenge Cup The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,2006–07 St Johnstone *

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

Individual *

PFA Scotland Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Scotland Team of the Year (often called the PFA Scotland Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the four national tiers of the Scottish foo ...

: 2006–07 First Division *

PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...

: 2013–14 Championship * Clyde Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06 * Derby County Player of the Year: 2011–12; 2013–14 * East Kilbride Thistle Young Player of the Year: 2002–03

References

External links

*
Kilmarnock Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryson, Craig 1986 births Living people Footballers from Rutherglen Scottish men's footballers Scotland men's under-21 international footballers Men's association football midfielders Clyde F.C. players East Kilbride Thistle F.C. players Kilmarnock F.C. players Derby County F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players Aberdeen F.C. players St Johnstone F.C. players Stenhousemuir F.C. players Scottish Junior Football Association players Scottish Football League players Scottish Premier League players English Football League players Scottish Professional Football League players Scotland men's international footballers Scotland men's youth international footballers Footballers from East Kilbride 21st-century Scottish sportsmen