This article will tell you about the career highlights of Arsenal legend Ian Wright
Ian Wright is a former English professional footballer who played for seven clubs during his career, most notably Arsenal and Crystal Palace. He is currently a television and radio presenter, pundit and columnist.
Wright was born in Woolwich, London on 3 November 1963. He was the youngest of five children and grew up in a single-parent household with his mother, Nesta.
His father had left the family when he was just two years old. Wright attended school at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College in New Cross, London.
Career Overview
Wright began his football career at Greenwich Borough in 1981 before joining Dulwich Hamlet two years later. In 1985 he joined Crystal Palace where he made an immediate impact, scoring nine goals in his first ten games for the club.
He went on to become Palace’s top scorer for four consecutive seasons between 1985 and 1989, helping them to promotion to the First Division in 1989.
In September 1991 Wright joined Arsenal for a fee of £2.5 million, making him the most expensive player ever signed by an English club at that time.
He quickly established himself as one of the best strikers in England, scoring 29 goals in his first season with Arsenal and becoming their top scorer for six consecutive seasons between 1991 and 1997.
During this period he also won two Premier League titles (1991/92 & 1997/98) and two FA Cup titles (1993 & 1998).
In 1998 Wright left Arsenal to join West Ham United where he spent one season before retiring from professional football at the age of 35 due to persistent knee injuries.
In total he scored 185 goals during his career which makes him the fourth highest scorer in Premier League history behind Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Andy Cole.
Life After Retirement
Since retiring from football Wright has gone on to become a successful television presenter, pundit and columnist. He has presented shows such as Friday Night’s All Wright (ITV), Ian Wright’s Football Fables (BBC) and The Wright Stuff (Channel 5).
He has also been a regular pundit on BBC Match of the Day since 2004 as well as appearing regularly on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show since 2011.
Wright has also written several books including A Life In Football: My Autobiography (2000), Ian Wright: My Story So Far (2002) and Ian Wright: My Life In Pictures (2005).
In addition to this he has also released several fitness DVDs including Ian Wright’s Total Fitness Workout (2006) and Ian Wright’s Ultimate Fitness Workout (2008).
Awards & Achievements
Throughout his career Ian Wright has been recognised for his achievements both on and off the pitch with numerous awards including an MBE for services to football in 2000 as well as being inducted into both the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and Arsenal’s Hall of Fame in 2008.
Ian Wright won several trophies throughout his career, including:
- FA Cup (2): 1993, 1998 (both with Arsenal)
- Premier League (1): 1993 (with Arsenal)
- League Cup (1): 1993 (with Arsenal)
In addition to these major trophies, Wright also won several individual awards, including:
- Premier League Golden Boot: 1992-93 (with Arsenal)
- PFA Team of the Year (2): 1992-93, 1996-97 (both with Arsenal)
Wright’s achievements as a footballer, including his goalscoring record and impact on English football, have also earned him various accolades and recognition, such as his induction into the English Football Hall of Fame and being awarded an MBE for his services to football and charity.
