About Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English media personality and former professional footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest forwards in the history of the Premier League and one of Arsenal's greatest ever players. Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal as a forward, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he lifted the Premier League title, both the major domestic cup competitions, and the European Cup Winners Cup. Known for his speed, agility, finishing and aggression, he played 581 league games, scoring 287 goals for seven clubs in Scotland and England, while also earning 33 caps for the England national team, and scoring nine international goals. Wright also played in the Premier League for West Ham United, the Scottish Premier League for Celtic and the Football League for Burnley and Nottingham Forest. As of 2025, he is Arsenal's second-highest scorer of all time and Crystal Palace's third-highest. Wright has been active in the media following his retirement, usually in football-related TV and radio shows. Two of his sons, Bradley and Shaun, are retired professional footballers. Wright is also a well-known advocate for women's football, especially for Arsenal's women's team. In 2025, Wright was named as the UK's second-most influential black person in the 2026 Powerlist. Wright described his school teacher Sydney Pigden, who taught him to read and write, as "the first positive male figure" in his life.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.