Ian Wright facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ian Wright
OBE

Wright in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth	(1963-11-03) 3 November 1963 (age 61)
Place of birth	Woolwich, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1985	Greenwich Borough
1985–1991	Crystal Palace	225	(90)
1991–1998	Arsenal	221	(128)
1998–1999	West Ham United	22	(9)
1999	→ Nottingham Forest (loan)	10	(5)
1999–2000	Celtic	8	(3)
2000	Burnley	15	(4)
Total		501	(239)
National team
1989–1992	England B	3	(0)
1991–1998	England	33	(9)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ian Edward Wright OBE (born 3 November 1963) is a famous English television and radio star. He used to be a professional footballer, known for being a fantastic striker.

Wright played for many clubs, but he was most successful with London teams Crystal Palace and Arsenal. He spent six years at Crystal Palace and seven years at Arsenal. With Arsenal, he won the Premier League title and several important cup competitions.

He was known for his speed, quick moves, and amazing goal-scoring ability. Throughout his career, he played 581 league games and scored 287 goals for seven different clubs. He also played 33 times for the England national team, scoring nine goals.

Wright also played in the Premier League for West Ham United, and in Scotland for Celtic. As of 2023, he is Arsenal's second-highest goal scorer ever and Crystal Palace's third-highest. After he stopped playing football, he became very popular in TV and radio, often talking about football. Two of his sons, Bradley and Shaun, also became professional footballers.

Early Life and Football Dreams

Ian Wright is the third son of parents from Jamaica. His father wasn't around much when he was young. His mother, Nesta, and his stepfather raised him.

Ian started playing professional football quite late in life. When he was a teenager, he tried out for teams like Southend United and Brighton & Hove Albion. However, he didn't get offered a professional contract. This made him feel sad about his chances of becoming a pro footballer.

After a tough time when his wife was expecting their first child, Ian spent some time in prison. He was there for not paying fines for driving without tax or insurance. He remembers crying in his cell and promising himself he would do everything to become a footballer.

Wright said his teacher, Sydney Pigden, was "the first positive male figure" in his life. Ian thought Mr. Pigden had passed away, but they were reunited on a TV show in 2005. Growing up, Ian liked several London football clubs. He said Millwall was the first team he loved. He also liked West Ham and was close friends with Arsenal legend David Rocastle.

Amazing Football Career

Starting Out: Amateur and Semi-Pro

Before becoming a professional, Ian played for a local amateur team called Ten-em-Bee until he was 21. He was the top scorer in his league. In 1985, Greenwich Borough, a semi-professional club, signed him. He earned £30 a week.

Crystal Palace Success

After only a few games for Greenwich, a scout from Crystal Palace noticed Ian. He was invited for a trial and impressed the manager, Steve Coppell. In August 1985, just before his 22nd birthday, Ian signed a professional contract with Palace. The fee was a set of weightlifting equipment!

He quickly made an impact, scoring nine goals in his first season. When Mark Bright joined the team, Ian and Mark formed a powerful attacking duo. Their goals helped Crystal Palace get promoted to the top league in 1989. Ian was key that season, scoring 24 goals in the Second Division. He scored 33 goals in total that year.

In 1989, Ian was called up to play for England B. He later got a shin bone injury, which slowed him down a bit. But he made a dramatic return in the 1990 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. He came on as a substitute and scored to force extra time. He then scored again to put Palace ahead. The game ended 3–3, but Palace lost the replay 1–0.

The next season, he played for the full England team. He also reached 100 goals for Crystal Palace. The club finished in their highest-ever league position of third place. Ian also scored twice as Palace won the Full Members Cup at Wembley. He was known for his incredible scoring ability, like when he scored three goals in just 18 minutes against Wimbledon in 1991.

Ian scored 117 goals in 253 starts for Crystal Palace over six seasons. This made him the club's top goal scorer after World War II. In 2005, fans voted him into their "Centenary XI" and named him "Player of The Century."

Becoming an Arsenal Star

In September 1991, Ian Wright joined Arsenal for £2.5 million, which was a record fee for the club at the time. He scored in his very first game for Arsenal. He also scored three goals in his league debut against Southampton. By the end of his first season, he had scored 31 goals in all competitions. His 29 league goals (24 for Arsenal, 5 for Palace) made him the league's top scorer.

Ian was Arsenal's top scorer for six seasons in a row. He helped the club win many trophies in the 1990s. This included the FA Cup and League Cup in 1993, where he scored in both the final and the replay. He also helped Arsenal reach the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, which they won. However, he couldn't play in the final because he was suspended.

When Arsène Wenger became Arsenal's manager in 1996, Ian was almost 33. But he still scored goals regularly. He was the second-highest Premier League scorer in the 1996–97 season with 23 goals. On 13 September 1997, he broke Cliff Bastin's record to become Arsenal's all-time top scorer. He celebrated by showing a shirt that said "Just Done It"!

Ian's last goal at Highbury, Arsenal's old stadium, was his 300th career goal for both Crystal Palace and Arsenal. He scored his final goal for Arsenal in January 1998. A hamstring injury kept him out for the rest of that season. Arsenal went on to win the 1998 FA Cup Final and the Premier League title, completing a "double."

Ian scored 185 goals in 288 games for Arsenal. He scored three goals in a game (a hat-trick) eleven times for them. As of the 2022–23 season, he is Arsenal's second-highest goal scorer of all time, behind Thierry Henry.

Later Club Career

In July 1998, Ian moved to West Ham United. He scored in his first game for them. He then had short spells at Nottingham Forest, Celtic, and Burnley. He helped Burnley get promoted to Division One. He retired from playing football in 2000.

Ian finished his club career with an amazing 313 goals in all competitions.

Playing for England

Ian Wright made his debut for the England team in February 1991. He helped England reach the finals of Euro 1992. Even though his international career lasted eight years, he only started 17 games and came on as a substitute 16 times.

Ian scored five of his nine international goals under manager Graham Taylor. This included a crucial goal against Poland in May 1993. He also scored four goals in a 7–1 win against San Marino in November 1993. These games were qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup, which England sadly didn't qualify for.

Later, under manager Glenn Hoddle, Ian scored four more international goals. This included the winning goal against South Africa in May 1997. He also scored against Italy in the Tournoi de France tournament, which England won. Ian helped England qualify for the 1998 World Cup by scoring two goals against Moldova. He also played a great game in the 0–0 draw against Italy, which secured England's spot in the finals. Unfortunately, he missed the World Cup due to an injury.

Ian played two more times for England as a West Ham player in 1998. His final international game was a friendly against the Czech Republic. He played 33 times for England, scoring 9 goals.

Life After Playing Football

Coaching and Media Work

After retiring from playing, Ian Wright became involved in football in different ways. In 2007, he became the Director of football strategy for a team called Ashford Town. In 2012, he was named a first-team coach at Milton Keynes Dons, a role he left in 2013.

Ian also started a successful career in television and radio. He was a guest host on Top of the Pops and later had his own chat show called Friday Night's All Wright. On this show, he interviewed famous people like Elton John and Will Smith.

He has presented many other TV shows, including Friends Like These and Gladiators. He also appeared in a show called Wright Across America, where he rode a Harley-Davidson motorbike across the USA. In 2019, he was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. In 2021, he started hosting a new game show for ITV called Moneyball.

On radio, Ian co-hosted The Wright & Bright Show with his former teammate Mark Bright. He also co-hosted a show on Talksport and later joined Absolute Radio. Since 2013, he has been a co-presenter on BBC Radio 5's 606 football phone-in show.

Football Expert and Writer

Ian Wright is a well-known football expert, often called a "pundit." He has appeared on BBC Sport's International Match of the Day and was an expert for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He also joined BT Sport as a studio analyst. Since 2014, he has been a regular expert for England matches on ITV. He continues to appear on Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2 for the BBC.

Since 2020, Ian has co-hosted his own podcast called Wrighty's House. In 2020 and 2022, he won the TV/Radio Pundit of the Year award from the Football Supporters' Association.

Ian has also appeared in commercials for brands like Chicken Tonight and Nescafé. He was sponsored by Nike during his playing career and appeared in famous Nike commercials, including "Good vs Evil" and "Park Life."

While still playing, Ian wrote his autobiography called Mr Wright. In 1993, he even released a song called "Do The Right Thing," which reached No. 43 in the UK music charts. He is also a columnist for The Sun newspaper. In 2016, he released an updated autobiography, A Life in Football. In 2021, he co-wrote his first novel for children, Striking Out. This book was inspired by his own experiences growing up.

Personal Life and Family

When he was young, Ian adopted his then-girlfriend Sharon Phillips' son, Shaun (born 1981). He also had another son with her, Bradley (born 1985). Both Shaun and Bradley grew up to become professional footballers. Ian also has another son from a different relationship. Shaun and Bradley have both played for the New York Red Bulls.

Ian's cousin, Jermaine Wright, is also a former footballer. His nephew, Drey Wright, and grandson, D'Margio Wright-Phillips, are also footballers. Ian's cousin, Patrick Robinson, is an actor known for the TV show Casualty.

In June 2014, while Ian was in Brazil working as a football expert, his family home was burgled while his wife and children were upstairs. Ian flew back to England but later returned to Brazil to continue his work.

Honours and Awards

Soon after he stopped playing football, Ian Wright was given an award called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000 for his services to football. On 21 April 2022, Ian was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, which is a special honor for top players.

He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2023 for his contributions to football and charity. On 1 November 2023, he was made a Freeman of the City of London to recognize his sporting achievements.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Wright goal.

List of international goals scored by Ian Wright

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	29 May 1993	Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland	Poland	1–1	1–1	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	17 November 1993	Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy	San Marino	2–1	7–1	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
3				4–1
4				6–1
5				7–1
6	24 May 1997	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	South Africa	2–1	2–1	Friendly
7	4 June 1997	Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France	Italy	1–0	2–0	1997 Tournoi de France
8	10 September 1997	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Moldova	2–0	4–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
9				4–0

Honours

Crystal Palace

• Football League Second Division play-offs: 1988–89
• Full Members' Cup: 1990–91
• FA Cup runner-up: 1989–90

Arsenal

• Premier League: 1997–98
• FA Cup: 1992–93, 1997–98
• Football League Cup: 1992–93
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1993–94
• European Super Cup runner-up: 1994

West Ham United

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999

Burnley

• Football League Second Division runner-up: 1999–2000

Individual

• First Division Golden Boot: 1991–92
• Arsenal Player of the Season: 1991−92, 1992−93
• Crystal Palace Player of the Year: 1988–89
• PFA Team of the Year: 1988–89 Second Division, 1992–93 Premier League, 1996–97 Premier League
• FA Cup top scorer: 1992–93
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup top scorer: 1994–95
• EFL Cup top scorer: 1995–96
• Premier League Player of the Month: November 1996
• Ballon d'Or Nominations: 1995, 1997
• English Football Hall of Fame: 2005
• Crystal Palace Centenary XI: 2005
• BBC Goal of the Season: 1989–90
• Crystal Palace Player of the Century
• Premier League Hall of Fame: 2022
• PFA Merit Award: 2023

See also

In Spanish: Ian Wright (futbolista) para niños