Few are those who exceeded the limits of fame to become symbols that are speaking for time, including Ian Wright, the former striker of England and Arsenal, who was not just a football star, but a human story that was woven between pain and glory, between the prison cell and the chants of stadiums.
Wright was born in 1963 in Walwich, southeast of London, for parents of Jamaican origin, and grew up in the Honor Oki, which was dedicated to the displaced from the poor neighborhoods after the war.
In his childhood, he suffered from family violence that left deep wounds in himself, and later stated that he needed a psychological treatment to recover from the effects of this harsh stage.
At the age of 14, he left the school to become a plaster worker, and after years of playing in amateur clubs, 32 days were imprisoned in Chelseford in 1982 due to traffic violations and driving without a license.
But he got out of the cell with a new determination, and when he reached 21 years old, he signed his first professional contract with Crystal Palace, to start an exceptional journey towards the summit.
With Crystal Palace, Wright scored 117 goals, and led the team to the first Premier League, drew the attention of Arsenal in 1991 in a record deal.
Wright has become the historical goal of Arsenal – before Thierry Henry later destroyed this number – and achieved the Premier League titles and the FA Cup, and participated in 213 Premier League games, in which he scored 113 goals.
But Ian Wright was not just a goal machine; It was a unique voice from southern London. His dialect, enthusiasm, and smile, made him a likable icon for the masses with their various affiliations.
His bold personality opened after retiring the doors of media fame, becoming one of the most prominent faces of the “Today’s match” program on BBC.
On the international level, Wright has played 33 international matches with the England national team and scored 9 goals, but he did not participate in any major championship, which he attributed in a press interview to the stereotype that the media attached to him as a “angry black” player.
Wright was not surprising about racism issues, as he faced her in the stadiums and clothing rooms, and condemned them publicly, taking advantage of his platform to defend black players and demanding accountability of the abusers, especially via the Internet. He was one of the first supporters of the initiatives to integrate prisoners through football.
Although Wright retired in 2000 after a short period with Burnley, his legacy continued. Not only in his scoring record, but in his sons Sean and Bradley Wright-Philips who followed his footsteps in the English Premier League.
Wright was not only the first to announce the Premier League as described by writer Clav Chengiuki, but he was the first to announce to the world that the will is able to break the restrictions, and that the ball can change the fate.
(Tagstotranslate) (T) Premier League (T) European Championships (T)) UK Kingdom