A video has appeared on YouTube this week of Ian Wright talking very openly and emotionally about his career, but even more so about his childhood and long struggle to become a professional footballer. It’s a powerful statement and makes you realise how much he wanted to play football despite every obstacle put in his way, and how close he came to missing out on his dream. If you haven’t watched it, I urge you to do so. Here’s a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ_MaGEFH8g
I know some Arsenal fans have a problem with Ian Wright and his opinions, and some accuse him of being bitter or having a vendetta against Arsène Wenger for ending his career. Some also point to his comment after the Champions League final this year, where he called Arsenal fans who had tweeted abuse about Ashley Cole ‘mugs’. Wright then apologised, saying he ‘owed everything’ to Arsenal and their fans, but to be honest tweeting abuse to former players of your team just because they have won something is hardly the height of maturity or witty sophistication. If Wrighty tarred all Arsenal fans with the same brush in a ranting tweet then that was a mistake, but ‘mugs’ is hardly the worst thing you could call people who still have a go at Cole several years after he left. I don’t like Cole and I think he’s quite an objectionable person in many ways, but I prefer to ignore him. Whatever. I don’t have a problem with Ian Wright and his views on Arsenal. He’s got opinions – we all have. And among Arsenal fans opinions are always diverse anyway – just look at the comments on some of my blog posts!
If you have any doubt that Ian Wright loves Arsenal, watch the video (which, just to be clear, I have no connection with whatsoever).
Here are a few quotes from it:
“Arsenal is the greatest, greatest football club in the world.”
“When I first got to Arsenal people were saying ‘What are you buying him for’ . . . I was sitting there watching the telly [the evening after I’d signed] . . . watching people talking about me, ‘He’s not good enough to play for Arsenal’, and I swear to God I sat down watching the news literally sh*tting myself about going to Arsenal.”
“I went to David Rocastle’s house that night and we stayed up till 4 in the morning talking about Arsenal, the club he loved.”
“Arsenal have got a certain class and dignity.”
“I just want to be remembered for being a hard-working honest professional who done the best he could with the opportunity he got.”
Does this look like someone who doesn’t care?
September sees the anniversary of both Ian Wright signing for Arsenal and breaking the club scoring record, so there will be more Wrighty on this blog in celebration very shortly.
Follow me on Twitter: @AngryOfN5
angryofislington 
The only Arsenal fans who criticise Wrighty are those muppets are have not got a clue. Fans who saw him sweat blood for the club know he has the right to mildly criticise Wenger. If you can’t be critical of a manager after 7 years without a trophy when can you criticise him.
7 years without a trophy… That old chestnut. Twat!
Let me ask you a question… When was the last time you spoke about Morrows League Cup winner? How about Pires goal v southampton that wonthe FA Cup? Answer – NEVER!!! But I bet you still think and talk about Henry’s goal at Real Madrid. Or when we tore apart Milan 5-1 in the SanSiro. Or Arshavins winner v Barcelona. None of those moments won a cup but they were more important and more memorable that ANY League Cup or FA Cup.
Honestly, you brain-dead fans are sheep that just repeat whatever you read on the back pages. Twats!
Are you suggesting that Wrighty didn’t have any memorable moments then? Trophies aside i still discuss (and try to imitate poorly) that goal against Everton where he lobbed it twice over a defender, and then scored, amongst many others. He (Wrighty) is entitled to his opinion and while i’m chuffed with our manager and respect his legendary status, the ability to make an opinion which isn’t completely positive about him has to be allowed and listened to.
Tony Adam’s isn’t very complimentary these days, Bergkamps too professional and his other club experiance the same thing we do, Parlour and Keown are obviously team Arsene.
I really don’t mind when former players of strong affiliation to Arsenal comment on the club, because they do so as fans who have given the most.
It’s the sort of position the RvP can never have now, he’s ruined his days at Arsenal, he’ll never really be a United legend, he’ll play out his days somewhere when he hits 35. Presumably all those injuries he used to get will catch up with him. Silly bastard.
Whereas Wrighty can say whatever he likes, and often does. An we’ll always love him.
Our Gazza!
Unbeliveable viewing, If you watch this & still have doubts about his love of Arsenal then you really do need specialist help. Ian Wright a true Arsenal legend & someone kids can look up to.
Wright is anti arsenal
Yes, and the sky is green and owls invented the internal combustion engine.
Geezer!!
thanks for the link – lovely, lovely film. I saw many of Ian’s goals at Highbury. A true Arsenal legend – whatever some of the new fans might think.
He did give his all for the club – but from the moment he left, he’s become a green-eyed twat, slagging off the team constantly (he forgets that Graham years were the most boring football in Arsenal’s history), slagging off the board, slagging of Wenger, and basically talking shit.
Yeah, this video sounds good, but then how do you explain his anti-Arsenal diatribes. He’s a jealous fool, thought he’d always be Arsenal’s highest scorer, probably expects a statue too (will NEVER happen) and has a real agenda against Arsenal in his columns and whenever he appears on TV.
Arsenal is family, you don’t earn millions of pounds with them then leave and slag them off, whatever the situation. Charlie Nicholas doesn’t, Charlie George doesn’t, Bergkamp doesn’t, Fabregas doesn’t, Henry doesn’t.
Wrighty needs to keep his mouth shut or lose his status at the club. Yeah we loved him, but we love those who love us.
And for the record – The No.8 will forever belong to Freddie!
or the spanish prince…..ARTETA!
Jez give us a break Goon truth, the bloke was a bloody great player for us, Whats your gripe ?
ive never heard such rubbish in all my life. apart from possibly Adams Wrighty loves arsenal more than ANYONE! Goal ratio his strike rate was BETTER than Henry’s he played less games and for a WEAKER TEAM! He played and celebrated with more passion in his little finger than ANY OTHER ARSENAL PLAYER EVER! U CLEARLY HAVE A VERY VERY SHORT MEMORY OR CANT REMEMBER PRIOR WENGER??
Wrght may love Arsenal but the dude hates Wenger and uses every opportunty to cut the team down. He just needs to shut up.
ian wright wright wright.. those who dont know? need to know….. legend and ive been AFC since Sammy Nelson amd Liam Brady… Zz.
Ljungberg? Arteta? GOD GIVE ME STRENGH!!!! They should have a Wright statue at emirates.
EVERYTHING WRIGHTY SAYS IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT ABOUT ARSENAL AND WENGER IS TRUE!!!!! FFS!!!!! AFTER ALL THE PLAYERS WE SOLD AND NEVER REPLACED! THE ABYSMAL SIGNINGS!
THE SALES OF OUR BEST PLAYERS AND REPLACED WITH LIKES OF SANTOS / CHAMACKH!!!!
ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE! HIS INABILITY TO SIGN A WORLD CLASS GK, INABILITY TO SIGN A WORLD CLASS STRIKER SINCE HENRY! EVERYTHING WRIGHT SAYS RE; ARSENALS MODERN DAY FAILINGS IS SPOT ON AND ARSENAL FANS WHO HATE HIM EITHER HAVE NO MEMORY PRIOR WENGER…. OR ARE THE SAME IGNORANT MUGS WHO SAY ‘IN ARSENE WE TRUST!’
DO I TRUST WENGER TO PLAY A SOLID MIDFIELDER IN MOULD OF VIERIA/GILBERTO AGAINST THE TOP 4….OR EVEN F’/#’;’ SIGN ONE WHICH HE HASNT EVER SINCE VIERIA LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO I HAVE FAITH WE’LL SIGN 60MILLION OF WORLD CLASS PLAYERS BEFORE THE SEASON STARTS?…. NO!
CAN I HAVE ANY FAITH IN SOMEONE WHO HAD FAITH IN CHAMACKH OR BENDTNER AND CONTINUES TO BELIEVE GIROUD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN THE TITLE WITH? NO!!!!! DO I BELIEVE HE’LL REPLACE GIROUD WITH REMY? BALOTELLI? PLAY PODOLSKI OR WALCOTT AS A STRIKER WHICH IS WHERE A 14 YEAR OLD WOULD PLAY THEM ON CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER? NO!!!!! NO! WENGERS PLAYED WALCOTT AS A WINGER FOR 8 YEARS WHEN HE CANT CROSS, CANT DRIBBLE HAS NO SKILL, CANT PASS, BUT HE CAN RUN, AND HE CAN SCORE!… THATS IT! BUT WENGER CONTINUES TO START HIM AS A WINGER, WRIGHT AND HENRY HAVE ALWAYS SAID HES A STRIKER. PODOLSKI HAS THE BEST STRIKE AND IS THE BEST COMFORTABLY FINISHER IN THE SQUAD, BUT HE PLAYS HIM ON THE LEFT MID…. WHY? SO HE CAN CUT IN AND STRIKE WITH A NON EXISTENT RIGHT FOOT? SO HE CAN RUN PAST DEFENSES WITH NONE EXISTENT PACE, AND SKILL???? HES A F@?&*() STRIKER U IDIOT!!!!!
IAN WRIGHT HAS A BETTER STRIKE RATE THAN ANY OF THE ARSENAL PLAYERS IN HISTORY AND PLAYED AND CELEBRATED WITH MORE PASSION AND LOVE FOR THE CLUB IN HIS LITTLE FINGER THAN ANY OTHER PLAYERS/ TEAMS EVER IN AN ARSEANL SHIRT! IAN WRIGHT LIVES AND BREATHS FOR ARSENAL! HIS ANGER AND FRUSTRATION IS THE EXACT SAME AS THOUSANDS OF GOONERS WHO ARENT AS IGNORANT TO FOLLOW WENGER LIKE SHEEP!