The eventual score was 3–3, but Palace lost the replay 1–0. He equalised for Palace a few minutes after coming onto the field forcing extra time, then putting them ahead in extra time. However, after recovering from the injury he made a dramatic appearance as a 'super-sub', in the 1990 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. Wright was called up for England B duty in December 1989 but a twice-cracked shin bone reduced his initial impact in the First Division. Wright was particularly instrumental that season, scoring 24 goals in the Second Division and a grand total of 33 in all competitions. When Mark Bright arrived on the Palace scene the following year the duo soon established a successful striking partnership and it was largely their goals which took the club back to the top flight via the playoffs in 1989. He quickly made his mark in his first season, scoring nine goals to finish as Palace's second-highest scorer. Having impressed then-manager Steve Coppell, he signed a professional contract for Crystal Palace in August 1985, just three months short of his 22nd birthday, the agreed fee being a set of weightlifting equipment. After just six or seven matches, he was spotted by a Crystal Palace scout after a tip-off from Dulwich Hamlet manager Billy Smith and was invited for a trial at Selhurst Park. In 1985 Wright was signed by semi-professional Greenwich Borough and got paid £30 a week. Club career Crystal Palace įrom being a teenager, until the age of 21, Wright played for Lewisham-based amateur Sunday league club Ten-em-Bee (a club his sons Brett and Shaun also later played for). Wright described his teacher Sydney Pigden as "the first positive male figure that I had in my life". He recalls that after being locked in the cell, he burst into tears and vowed to God to do everything in his power to make it as a footballer. Īfter a spell of poverty during which his wife was expecting their first child, Wright spent two weeks in Chelmsford Prison for failing to pay fines for driving without tax or insurance. Reverting to playing for amateur and non-League teams, he was left disillusioned about his chances of a career as a professional footballer. Despite having had trials at Southend United and Brighton & Hove Albion during his teens, he was unable to attract sufficient interest to win a professional contract offer. Wright came to professional football relatively late. His father was absent from a young age, and he was brought up by his mother, Nesta, and an abusive stepfather. Wright is the third son of Jamaican parents. Two of his sons, Bradley and Shaun, are retired professional footballers. Īfter retiring, he has been active in the media, usually in football-related TV and radio shows. As of 2023, he is Arsenal's second-highest scorer of all time and Crystal Palace's third-highest. 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. 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. With Arsenal he lifted the Premier League title, both the major domestic cup competitions, and the European Cup Winners Cup. 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. Ian Edward Wright MBE (born 3 November 1963) is an English television and radio personality and former professional footballer. *Club domestic league appearances and goals
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