Every Arsenal fan knows Ian Wright. Of course you do, how can you possibly not? Even for a lot of fans today who never got to see the man play, we all know who he is. He's synonymous with Arsenal football club, nearly twenty years after he last donned the red and white shirt.
When I was a nipper, between 8 and 9 years old, I wanted to be Ian Wright. I wanted to physically become the man in every way possible. When my Dad and I would watch Arsenal on the tele, I would spend most of the game too close to the screen, burning out my retinas as I focused solely on Wright, his movement, his technique, his gait. I would spend days and weeks trying to perfect his moves on the playgrounds and playing fields of my school. Remember that famous shimmy and swivel against Spurs that left Clive Wilson for dead in 96? I spent close to a week destroying my shoes on the harsh black bitumen trying to master that against the other lads in my class. I'd deliberately dribble the ball into the corner, pretending I had 38,000 of the Highbury faithful on my back, as I turned my would-be defender before crossing the ball to Bergkamp. Only it wasn't the Dutch legend of course, but my mate Dan.
I would stay up at night, pouring over my limited collection of Arsenal magazines to read the match reports detailing Wright's exploits. I recoiled in horror once when I read that he'd been given a straight red card away to Nottingham Forest just before Christmas 1996. Surely not my Ian? He'd scored an equalising goal roughly an hour into the game but six minutes later he was given his marching orders. I thought, there's no way they've got this right. My 8 year-old self would have defended Wright to the death. Little did I know that he'd had a battle all game with Forest defender Nikola Jerkan and finally thought enough was enough. Wright planted his boot through Jerkan's left foot and the linesman caught him red handed, grassing Wrighty in to the ref. Arsenal went on to lose 2-1 that night, thanks to a Alf Inge Haaland last minute winner, but all of this only helped add to the Ian Wright mystique and strangely deepened my admiration for the man.
With my parents and siblings regularly hogging the TV to watch X Files or Gladiators in the evenings, I would gather all of my Corinthians big head figures and set them out in formation on the kitchen table. Wrighty would obviously take centre stage and I'd routinely use his figurine to smash Subbuteo balls across the table into a homemade goal. I'd even do the running commentary.
Wright passes to Bergkamp. who lays it off to Merson, who crosses for Wright at the back post, WHO VOLLEYS IT PAST SEAMAN TO WIN IT IN INJURY TIME FOR ARSENAL! (Yes, Seaman was in goal - he was the only goalie figure I had!)
And don't think for a second I haven't contemplated buying a new Ian Wight big head as an adult. I have...
Ahead of the World Cup in 98, my first proper international tournament I fully understood and invested in, I was lucky to own the official England Football Team annual. I would spent ages pouring over this book, reading all the player profiles and soaking up all of the information. Before this book I had really only ever known Arsenal. This was the England team, and here were my favourite Arsenal players as well! What was David Seaman doing wearing that crazy kit? How could he possibly play for two different teams, I would ask my Dad.
And then there was Ian, not just featured in the book but on the bloody cover, evading a tackle from a very young Fabio Cannavaro.
On a summer's evening in May 1997 I was at home and found myself watching England play South Africa at Old Trafford. I undoubtedly had my England annual spread on the floor in front of me, so I could look up the players mentioned on the screen. It was just a friendly, but as a kid I didn't really know what that meant. It was still England, so it mattered to me. And there was Ian, wearing number 9 and starting alongside Teddy Sheringham. Of course he only went on to score the winner didn't he? With 75 minutes played Wrighty controlled a flick-on from a Paul Gascoigne free kick, chesting it down before turning to smash it past Andre Arendse in the South African goal. England won the game 2-1 and I was absolutely beaming at my hero's involvement in the result.
Today Ian Wright turns 53 years-old. I owe him a lot as he was the responsible for a big chunk of the joy in my childhood. Him and Star Wars of course. I'm sad I never got to see him in the flesh, but glad I got to experience his legend in at least some way.
Happy Birthday Ian.
