Ian Wright

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For the host of Globe Trekker (Pilot Guides), see Ian Wright (traveller).

Ian Edward Wright, MBE (born 3 November 1963 in Woolwich, London) is a former professional footballer and current television and radio personality. Image:Ianwright.jpg

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Football career

Ian Wright came to professional football relatively late. After rejections from Millwall and Brighton, he played for amateur and non-league teams whilst working as a labourer and plasterer, culminating at Greenwich Borough, where he was spotted by Crystal Palace scout Peter Prentice. He signed professional terms for Palace in 1985 at the age of 22. In all, 'Satch' (as he became nicknamed, after Louis Armstrong's nickname) spent six seasons at Palace and in 2005, he was voted into their Centenary XI.

He quickly made his mark in his first season, scoring nine times to finish as Palace's second highest scorer behind Phil Barber. When Mark Bright arrived on the Palace scene the following year the duo soon established a successful striking partnership and it was largely their goals which took the top flight via the playoffs in 1989.

Wright was called up for England B duty in December 1989 but thankfully, a twice-cracked shin bone reduced his initial impact in the First Division. However, after recovering from the injury he made a dramatic appearance as a 'super-sub', in the 1990 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. He equalised for the Palace a few minutes after coming onto the field forcing extra time, then putting them ahead in extra time. The eventual score was 3-3, but Palace lost the replay 1-0.

The next season he gained full international honours, and reached a hundred goals for Crystal Palace. He scored twice as Palace beat Everton to win the Zenith Data Systems Cup at Wembley. Wright became renowned for his deadly striking ability, as shown when he scored a hat-trick in just eighteen minutes in Palace's penultimate game of the 1990-91 season away to Wimbledon.

He signed for Arsenal in 1991 for £2.5m, which was at the time a club record fee. He scored on his debut against Leicester City in a League Cup tie, and then scored a hat-trick on his League debut against Southampton. He won the Golden Boot in his first season and went on be the club's top scorer for six seasons in a row. He played a major part in the club's success during the 1990s, winning an FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993; he scored in both the FA Cup final and the final replay. Wright also helped Arsenal reach the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup final, although Wright was suspended for the final in which Arsenal beat Parma 1-0.

Wright scored in every round but the final of Arsenal's 1995 Cup Winners' Cup campaign, but the arrival of Bruce Rioch heralded a bleaker time; the two did not get on and eventually Wright handed in a transfer request (which he later retracted). The arrival of Dennis Bergkamp, however, heralded a brief but fruitful striking partnership.

By the time Arsène Wenger had arrived at Arsenal in September 1996, Wright was nearly 33. Despite his age, he continued to score regularly, and on September 13, 1997 he broke Cliff Bastin's Arsenal goalscoring record with a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers (a record since surpassed by Thierry Henry in October 2005). A couple of months later he suffered a bad hamstring injury which ruled him out of the club's run-in to a League and Cup Double; Wright was named as a substitute in the cup final against Newcastle United but did not play.

In the summer of 1998, Wright moved to West Ham United; he spent nine months at the Hammers without reaching the same form he had at Arsenal. He had subsequent short spells at Nottingham Forest, Celtic, and Burnley (who he helped to promotion to Division One) before retiring in 2000.

Wright made his England debut while still a Palace player, in 1991, although he did not make it into the squad for Euro 92. Wright's form for England was never as fruitful as it was for Arsenal, though he scored a crucial goal against Poland in a qualifier for the 1994 World Cup, but Graham Taylor's England still failed to qualify. Wright was only a fringe player under Terry Venables, but was recalled by Glenn Hoddle and his goals helped England win the 1997 Tournoi de France and qualify for the 1998 World Cup. He missed the finals, however, with a recurrence of the hamstring injury which had ruled him out of Arsenal's double win. Wright was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game.

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Media career

Since his retirement from football, he has become a dreadful media personality, appearing on Match of the Day, where he is known for his embarrassing English patriotism and very over-the-top, cheap style of match analysis (most notably, when covering all games played in Japan during the Template:Wc, he wore a kimono in the studio). He is also a painfull presenter having had his own chat show, Friday Night's All Wright, which began in 1998 while Wright was still playing. Since then, he has gone on to present programmes such as The National Lottery Wright Around the World , Friends Like These, radio show Wright & Bright (with his former team-mate Mark Bright), Guinness World Records and What Kids Really Think. He is currently a team captain on BBC game show They Think It's All Over.

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Miscellaneous

Wright is also the patron of the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust. He was awarded the MBE in 2000 for services to football.

Wright has five children, two of whom are professional footballers; his stepson Shaun Wright-Phillips is a player for Chelsea and the England national team, while Bradley Wright-Phillips currently plays for Manchester City. Another son, Brett Wright-Phillips, is an up and coming figure in the Man City youth ranks.

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Honours

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Personal

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Crystal Palace

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Arsenal

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England

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External links

fr:Ian Wright gd:Iain Wright sv:Ian Wright

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