Ian Wright facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ian Wright
OBE

Wright in 2022
Personal information
Birth name	Ian Edward Wright
Date of birth	(1963-11-03) 3 November 1963 (age 61)
Place of birth	London, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s)	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)
International career
1989–1992	England B	3	(0)
1991–1998	England	33	(9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is a famous English media personality and former professional footballer. He was known for being a fast, agile, and aggressive forward.

Wright had great success playing for London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal. He spent six years with Crystal Palace and seven years with Arsenal. With Arsenal, he won the Premier League title, both major domestic cup competitions, and the European Cup Winners Cup.

He played 581 league games, scoring 287 goals for seven different clubs in Scotland and England. He also played 33 times for the England national team, scoring nine goals. As of 2025, he is Arsenal's second-highest scorer of all time and Crystal Palace's third-highest.

After retiring from football, Ian Wright became very active in TV and radio, mostly talking about football. Two of his sons, Bradley and Shaun, also became professional footballers. Ian Wright is also a strong supporter of women's football, especially for Arsenal's women's team.

Early Life and Football Dreams

Ian Edward Wright was born in Woolwich, London, on 3 November 1963. His parents were from Jamaica. He grew up with his mother, Nesta, and two older brothers. He is a cousin of footballer Jermaine Wright and actor Patrick Robinson. He is also the uncle of footballer Drey Wright.

Ian Wright started his professional football career later than most players. When he was a teenager, he had trials with Southend United and Brighton & Hove Albion. However, he did not get a professional contract. He then played for amateur and non-League teams.

After a difficult time, Ian Wright spent 32 days in Chelmsford Prison for failing to pay fines. He remembers crying in his cell and promising himself he would do everything to become a footballer.

Wright has often spoken about his school teacher, Sydney Pigden. He said Mr. Pigden taught him to read and write and was "the first positive male figure" in his life. They were reunited in a TV show in 2005, and the emotional moment became very popular online years later.

Growing up, Wright liked several London football clubs. He said Millwall was the first team he loved. He also liked West Ham and owned their kit. He had an early connection with Arsenal because he was good friends with club legend David Rocastle.

Club Football Career

Starting Out: Amateur and Semi-Professional Teams

From his teenage years until he was 21, Ian Wright played for a local amateur team called Ten-em-Bee. He became the top scorer in the London and Kent Border Sunday League. In 1985, he joined Greenwich Borough, a semi-professional team, earning £30 a week.

Crystal Palace Success

After only a few games at Greenwich, a Crystal Palace scout noticed Wright. He was invited for a trial at Selhurst Park. He impressed manager Steve Coppell and signed a professional contract with Palace in August 1985. He was almost 22 years old. The fee for him was a set of weightlifting equipment.

In his first season, he scored nine goals. The next year, Mark Bright joined Palace, and they formed a strong attacking duo. Their goals helped the club return to the top division in 1989 through the playoffs. Wright was key that season, scoring 24 goals in the Second Division and 33 goals overall.

Wright was called up for the England B team in December 1989. However, a shin bone injury affected his first season in the top division. After recovering, he made a dramatic appearance as a substitute in the 1990 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. He scored to make it 3–3, forcing extra time. Palace lost the replay 1–0.

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

Wright scored 117 goals in 253 starts and 24 substitute appearances for Crystal Palace. This made him the club's record post-war goalscorer. In 2005, he was voted into their "Centenary XI" and named their "Player of The Century."

Arsenal Glory Days

In September 1991, Wright joined Arsenal for £2.5 million, a club record at the time. He scored in his first game against Leicester City. He scored a hat-trick in his league debut against Southampton. In the last game of the season, he scored another hat-trick against Southampton. This brought his total to 31 goals that season. Wright's 29 league goals (24 for Arsenal, 5 for Palace) made him the league's top scorer.

Wright was Arsenal's top scorer for six seasons in a row. He played a big part in the club's success in the 1990s. They won an FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993. He scored in both the FA Cup Final and the replay against Sheffield Wednesday. Wright also helped Arsenal reach the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup Final. He was suspended for the final, which Arsenal won 1–0 against Parma.

Wright scored in every round except the final of Arsenal's 1995 Cup Winners' Cup campaign. He scored many goals in the Premier League. When Arsène Wenger became Arsenal manager in September 1996, Wright was almost 33. Despite his age, he kept scoring regularly. He was the second-highest Premier League scorer in the 1996–97 season with 23 goals. That season, he scored against 17 of Arsenal's 19 opponents, a record for a 20-team Premier League season.

On 13 September 1997, he broke Cliff Bastin's club record to become Arsenal's all-time top scorer. He did this with a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers. His famous goal celebration saw him show a shirt that said "Just Done It."

Wright's last goal at Highbury was his 300th career goal for both Crystal Palace and Arsenal. He scored his final goal for Arsenal on 6 January 1998. A hamstring injury kept him out for much of the rest of that season. Arsenal won the 1998 FA Cup Final and the Premier League title that year.

Wright scored 185 goals in 288 games for Arsenal. He scored eleven hat-tricks for them. As of 2025, he is Arsenal's second-highest goalscorer of all time, behind Thierry Henry. Fans voted him fourth in a 2008 poll of the club's 50 greatest players.

Later Career and Retirement

In July 1998, Wright moved to West Ham United for £500,000. He scored on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday. He then had short spells at Nottingham Forest, Celtic, and Burnley. He helped Burnley get promoted to Division One before retiring in 2000.

While at Celtic, Wright faced some difficult times with fans. He scored on his debut for Celtic, just as he had for Nottingham Forest. He finished his club career with 313 goals in all competitions.

Playing for England

Ian Wright was not chosen for the 1990 World Cup. However, he made his England debut in February 1991 under manager Graham Taylor. He played in a 2–0 win against Cameroon at Wembley. He helped England reach the finals of Euro 1992 in Sweden.

Even though his international career lasted eight years, he only started 17 times and came on as a substitute 16 times. In the seven seasons after the 1990 World Cup, Wright scored at least 23 goals for his club each season. Despite his many goals, he only started three consecutive games for England twice.

Five of Wright's nine international goals were scored when Taylor was manager. These included an important late goal in a 1–1 draw against Poland in May 1993. He also scored four goals in a 7–1 win against San Marino in November 1993. Both games were qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup, which England failed to reach.

Terry Venables became manager after Taylor. Wright's appearances for England became even more limited. He was not chosen for the squad for Euro 1996, where England reached the semi-finals as the host nation.

Glenn Hoddle replaced Venables as manager. Wright was called back to the England team in November 1996. It had been over two years since his last England game.

Four of Wright's nine international goals were scored under Hoddle. He scored the winning goal in a 2–1 friendly win against South Africa in May 1997. A month later, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 win over Italy in the Tournoi de France. England won this four-team tournament.

Wright helped England qualify for the 1998 World Cup. He scored two goals and assisted another in a 4–0 win against Moldova in September 1997. He then played very well in a 0–0 draw in Italy a month later, which secured England's spot in the World Cup. However, he missed the finals due to an injury.

After the 1998 World Cup, Wright played two more times for England. His final international game was a friendly against the Czech Republic in November 1998. England won 2–0.

Life After Playing Football

Coaching and Management Roles

In March 2007, Ian Wright became the Director of Football Strategy for Isthmian League team, Ashford Town. He also joined their board of directors. In May 2012, he was named a first-team coach at Milton Keynes Dons, leaving in June 2013. In November 2024, it was announced that Wright would manage one of the 12 teams in the new six-a-side football league, Baller League UK.

Television Career

Wright started his TV career as a guest host on Top of the Pops. He then had his own chat show on ITV, called Friday Night's All Wright. He interviewed famous people like Elton John and Will Smith.

He has also presented shows like Friends Like These, I'd Do Anything, and What Kids Really Think. From 2004 to 2006, he was a team captain on the BBC game show They Think It's All Over.

Wright starred in Wright Across America, where he rode a Harley-Davidson motorbike across America. He also appeared in Ian Wright's Excellent Adventure, traveling to Greenland to climb a mountain. In 2008, he became one of the presenters for the game show Gladiators.

From 2009 to 2010, Wright was a presenter on Channel 5's Live from Studio Five. He also presented Football Behind Bars on Sky1, a show about using football to help young men in a prison. In 2019, he participated in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. In 2021, he hosted a new game show for ITV called Moneyball.

Wright also appears in the Amazon Original sports docuseries All or Nothing: Arsenal. On 10 March 2023, Wright announced he would not appear on Match of the Day to support Gary Lineker. He made his last appearance on the show on 19 May 2024.

Radio and Other Media

In 2001, Wright joined BBC Radio 5 to co-host The Wright & Bright Show. He also co-hosted a show on Talksport. In 2010, he joined Absolute Radio for Rock 'N' Roll Football. Since 2013, he has co-presented 606 on BBC Radio 5.

Wright at SXSW London in June 2025.

Wright appears in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso as a co-host of a fictional sports show. He also appears in the Netflix film The Kitchen as Lord Kitchener, a DJ.

Football Punditry

After retiring, Wright became a football pundit for BBC Sport's International Match of the Day. He was a pundit for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and Euro 2004. In 2008, he left Match of the Day for a time, saying he felt used as a "comedy jester."

In 2013, he joined BT Sport as a studio analyst. Since 2014, he has been a regular pundit for England matches on ITV. He was a main pundit for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2016.

Wright left BT Sport in 2017 to take on a bigger role at the BBC. He regularly appears on Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2. He also co-hosts 606 and 5 Live Sport on BBC Radio 5 Live. He appears on The Debate on Sky Sports.

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

Commercials and Writing

Wright has appeared in TV commercials for brands like Chicken Tonight, Nescafé, and Ladbrokes. He was sponsored by Nike during his playing career. He appeared in Nike's first UK football TV commercial in 1992. In 1996, he starred in the "Good vs Evil" commercial with other famous footballers. In 1997, he was in the "Park Life" commercial, which was later ranked among the greatest TV ads. He has also worked for Barclays.

In 1993, Wright released a song called "Do the Right Thing," which reached No. 43 on the UK Singles Chart. While playing for Arsenal, he wrote his autobiography, Mr Wright, published in 1996. He is also a columnist for The Sun newspaper. In 2016, he wrote an updated autobiography called A Life in Football. In 2021, Wright co-wrote Striking Out, his first novel for children and young people. The book is inspired by his own experiences growing up.

Personal Life

Ian Wright adopted Shaun (born 1981) when Shaun was three years old. Ian and Shaun's mother, Sharon Phillips, later had another son, Bradley (born 1985). Both Shaun and Bradley became professional footballers. Shaun's son, D'Margio (born 2001), also became a footballer. Ian Wright has another son from a different relationship.

In June 2014, while Wright was in Brazil as a pundit for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, his wife Nancy was held at knifepoint during a burglary at their home. Their children were upstairs at the time. He flew back to England but later returned to Brazil to continue his pundit duties.

Awards and Recognition

After retiring from playing, Wright was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000 for his services to football. On 21 April 2022, he was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

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

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

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 and Awards

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 Awards

• 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

Television Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ian Wright (futbolista) para niños