Arsenal legend Ian Wright works as a pundit for ITV (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Ian Wright had an eventful journey from Non-League football to becoming Arsenal's top goalscorer, and he has been a star pundit since hanging up his boots. The Gunners legend is set to feature as an analyst for ITV Sport during England's match against the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium today (Saturday, 5pm).
Despite earning 33 caps for the Three Lions, Wright's chances of playing international football would have seemed non-existent when he was playing Sunday league, signing his first professional contract with Crystal Palace at the age of 21. Wright made up for lost time at Palace, which led to him joining his childhood friend David Rocastle at Arsenal.
In his seven-year stint at Highbury, Wright became the club's record goalscorer, though was later surpassed by Thierry Henry, and also made his debut as a Match of the Day pundit in 1997.
After decades on the BBC's flagship football show, Wright left his role at the end of last season. He continues to work as a pundit for ITV Sport and hosts the Wrighty's House podcast, alongside his work for Premier League Productions and appearances on the Stick to Football podcast.
From his work on ITV and the BBC, it has been claimed he earns around £150,000-a-year, although that figure may have dropped given he has stepped away from MOTD. Meanwhile, Celebritynetworth.com estimate Wright's net worth to be around £15.27million ($20million).
Away from football, Wright has delved into other areas of television, hosting shows like ITV's Moneyball. The pundit also pocketed a hefty £400k in 2019 for his stint in the jungle on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
Ian Wright with his wife Nancy Hallam (Image: Getty)
Love life
Wright is the father of eight children, with two of them being former Premier League talents, Shaun and Bradley Wright-Phillips. As a teenager, Wright adopted Sharon Phillips' son Shaun, who would become an England international, before welcoming Bradley Wright-Phillips into the world, who carved out an impressive career in MLS.
The Gunners icon had fathered his third son Brett before crossing paths with his first wife Deborah. The couple tied the knot in 1993 and gave birth to their son Stacey and daughter Bobbi-lee, but the marriage suffered due to Wright's cheating, with their divorce finalised in 2004. Wright also has a daughter called Coco, who he has supported financially but has no contact with.
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Confronting his past indiscretions in his autobiography, Wright admitted his regrets: "I got caught up in all of that and cheated on first wife, Debbie, which destroyed my marriage. That was a really horrible period. If there's ever been a time in my life I wish I could change, that would be it."
During a visit to a Notting Hill pub, Wright met Nancy Hallam and the couple would eventually walk down the aisle in 2011. They have two daughters together, Lola and Roxanne. Despite finding happiness, Wright has apologised for his earlier mistakes: "I didn't experience an enormous amount of love from my mum when I was a child, so I've had to learn what it is, and learn how to be happy and at peace.
"I've put other people through horrible experiences along the way. If people think that's selfish, then I'm really sorry. Nancy's the perfect woman and I can't stand to be apart from her and our daughters. My love for them is unconditional and my upbringing means I have a lot of love to give now."
Ian Wright recently spoke about the death of his brother (Image: YouTube/@TheOverlap)
Wright was struck by two personal losses this summer. The sporting community grieved alongside Wright upon the loss of his great friend and ex-Arsenal team-mate Kevin Campbell in June, but the pundit also quietly suffered the loss of his older brother a couple of weeks later.
Reflecting on the heartache, Wright confided in his colleagues on The Overlap: "It's been a tough summer. My man Kevin Campbell and a couple of weeks later I lose my brother. It's been one of those situations where you just have to get on with it. It catches you every now and then."
Recalling memories of his brother, Wright added: "I'm driving along and I'm thinking of my brother. He was a really good cricketer, a really good footballer. He didn't come up to the house as often as [I'd] like but that's because he's just a loner. And then all of a sudden you're constantly trying to get in touch with him, come and do this, come and do that, and then bam, he's gone. You know what I mean?
"It's tough, man. Now I feel pretty much in control of it, but I know that at some stage later on it just catches you. But you just have to deal with it. It helps being among people. Grieving is a process. You never know when it's going to come and it's not like it ever leaves you. It's going to come at some stage. Even like now, I just don't know what to say. I just miss them both."
