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Arsenal legend Ian Wright's net worth, family tragedy and colourful love life

Ian Wright
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images)


Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has had a remarkable journey from Non-League football to becoming the Gunners' top scorer and a much-loved pundit.

The Arsenal legend will take up his analyst role for ITV Sport during England's match against the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. Despite earning 33 caps for England, Wright's chances of playing international football were initially slim as he only signed his first professional contract with Crystal Palace at the age of 21.

However, he quickly made up for lost time, proving himself as a prolific scorer for Palace before joining Arsenal alongside his childhood friend David Rocastle. During his seven-year spell in North London, Wright became the club's record goalscorer until Thierry Henry surpassed him.

Even while still playing at Highbury, Wright began his media career, making his debut on Match of the Day in 1997. He spent several years on the BBC's flagship football show before leaving at the end of last season.

However, he continues to work as a pundit for ITV Sport and hosts the Wrighty's House podcast. He also appears on the Stick to Football podcast and works for Premier League Productions, reports the Mirror.

According to Celebritynetworth.com, Wright's extensive work in football has earned him an estimated net worth of £15.27million ($20million). His punditry roles for ITV and BBC reportedly bring in around £150,000 per year.

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Aside from the beautiful game, Wright has proven he's not just a one-trick pony. The former striker turned television host has taken to our screens in various shows, such as fronting ITV's Moneyball.

Notably, in 2019, whispers around the industry suggested Wright pocketed a cool £400k for stint in the jungle on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.

When it comes to his personal life, Wright is quite the family man. He's fathered eight children, notably including former top-flight footballers Shaun and Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Wright essentially became a dad in his teens, first adopting Sharon Phillips' son Shaun who went on to don Chelsea and England jerseys before welcoming Shaun's brother Bradley, who carved out a name for himself across the pond in MLS.

But Wright's journey wasn't all smooth sailing. Before meeting Deborah, with whom he tied the knot in 1993, Wright fathered another son, Brett.

However, their union faced testing times, exacerbated when it surfaced that Wright had been unfaithful, leading to strains that couldn't be reconciled. The result was a brood that includes son Stacey and daughter Bobbi-Lee, but by 2004, the couple decided to call it quits.

Wright has another daughter, Coco, with whom he maintains financial support but lacks any direct contact. Wright opened up about this challenging chapter in his life, voicing his remorse in his autobiography: "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."

A chance encounter at a Notting Hill pub introduced him to Nancy Hallam, leading to their 2011 wedding and the birth of daughters Lola and Roxanne. However, reflecting on his earlier life, Wright acknowledged shortcomings and expressed remorse: "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."

Wright admitted to The Overlap: "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."

Wright also shared the heartache he faced this summer with the loss of two significant figures in his life. He spoke of the double tragedy affecting not just himself but the wider football community who paid tributes after the death of his dear friend and former Arsenal teammate Kevin Campbell in June.

Only weeks later, the grief was compounded by the death of his older brother. While appearing on The Overlap, Wright reflected: "It's been a tough summer," going on to say: "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."

Wright opened up about the loss of his brother, sharing: "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."