Ian Wright cannot accept Eni Aluko apology

The UEFA Women’s Champions League Final will be on the 24th of May. A week later will be the men’s version.

There’s an irony that both Arsenal’s Women and Men’s teams could be involved in what could be one of the greatest seven days in the club’s history. It would be even more ironic if both were facing Barcelona.

Yet when the likes of TNT start planning for Portugal, don’t be surprised if they invite Ian Wright onto their panel — not just because of his love for the Gunners and his knowledge as an ex-professional, but because of how much he has helped promote female sport in the UK. Broadcasters may be less inclined to want to work with Eni Aluko after she went on BBC Radio 4 and accused Wright’s presence across women’s football of “blocking” opportunities for females.

“I don’t know about wrong, but I think we need to be conscious, and we need to make sure that women are not being blocked from having a pathway into broadcasting in the women’s game.”

Aluko has since apologised to Wright on social media, although only after trying to claim her words had been taken out of context. It’s hard to misread her views though. Once happy to be a colleague of Ian Wright — when his name brought value to the product, gave credibility to the game, and whose brand brought eyeballs and promotion you wouldn’t have got elsewhere — now that the viewership is there, she would prefer Ian Wright to step aside because he’s male. Only Aluko, of course, knows if she’s truly sorry or simply reacting to a backlash where many of her peers disagreed.

The 38-year-old is asking for pundits to be hired based on their gender, something she would be against herself if it were said the other way around. The irony is that she herself has faced discrimination. I believe she’s simply not very good at her job, but she doesn’t deserve the pile-on she gets. There are people online just waiting for her to make a mistake, who don’t treat the other sex that way, which makes it all the more shocking that she wouldn’t want individuals employed based purely on talent.

The danger of the internet is you can share your opinion around the world within seconds, no matter the credibility of your point of view. Since retirement, the former striker has become best known for Joey Barton trolling her. Only last week, the High Court ruled against Mr Barton in initial stages of a libel claim against him. Aluko claims that standing up for herself has led to her, in the last 18 months, getting less work.

My fear is she has fallen into the trap of believing that any attention is good attention, tried to provoke a debate on the radio, but didn’t expect this kind of response. Yet if she wants employers to pick up the phone, then going after one of the most popular personalities in the industry isn’t the best strategy.

You would think an athlete who achieved her dreams would understand the need to work hard and get better at her craft. When you’re competing for limited vacancies, then you need to stand out and be superior to other candidates. Aluko needs to research the product better, have more knowledge on the subject, and train to get more comfortable in front of a camera. Yet it’s hard to be self-critical; it’s easier to make excuses.

The BBC and ITV have the UK rights for this summer’s Euros. No different to any other company, their priority is to make as much money as possible. Wright will get picked not because of how he looks, but because he is proven to increase ratings and has a history of being able to deal with live TV. It takes skill to analyse within a few minutes under time restraints.

To ask him not to travel to Switzerland because he’s male is actually harmful to the female presenters, commentators, journalists, YouTubers, etc., who have made progress on merit. A person wants to be hired due to their ability, not to tick a PR box. The irony that Aluko can’t see is that so many defended her when Joey Barton suggested gender was the only reason she was on television, yet she’s asking Ian Wright to essentially step aside because he’s male.

That’s why, on his Instagram, Mr Wright “can’t accept the apology.” In other words, this has hurt him.

There’s a sense of entitlement to tell anyone how much or where they can work. The Arsenal legend doesn’t have to justify what he does for a living or how he chooses to feed his family. It’s safe to say Ian Wright does not rock up to WSL fixtures because he’s greedy for money. It’s his love for the game. This was his comfort blanket growing up, his way to escape, his dream of having a better life, the reward for his good decisions.

It’s a combination of a difficult childhood and not making it as a professional until late, which is why the 61-year-old has never taken his life for granted. That’s what makes him relatable — he’s never forgotten his roots.

So he means it when he wants to give something back. He’s genuine in wanting to support more young girls to have the platform he had. If he’s passionate about that, why shouldn’t he take up the offers to talk about something he loves? How many people wouldn’t? He doesn’t need to defend his motives or get permission.

When I look at Ian Wright, I don’t see gender or colour. The only colour I see is the famous red and white shirt he wears. His smile lights up a room, his story is inspirational, he has a connection with the audience, and he’s great at what he does.

Shouldn’t that be why you give someone a job?