Former Premier League player Ian Wright was in Dublin on Sunday to attend an exclusive event hosted by Cadbury, ‘Official Snack Partner’ to the Premier League. Hosted in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ian was joined by Tesco competition winners from all over the country as they enjoyed a meet and greet with the football legend. The 2018/19 season marks the second year of Cadbury’s three-year partnership.
The Arsenal legend took time out to chat to me on this week's Team 33 and we touched on a number of stories from his career including his influential late schoolteacher Sydney Pigden, his strike partnerships with the Gunners and his thoughts on the current Arsenal forward line. Oh, and chocolate.
But he also spoke to me about both sides of his TV career. Back in the late '90s, towards the end of his playing career, Wright presented a chat show called Friday Night's All Wright in which he interviewed celebrities like Mariah Carey and Elton John.
You can listen to the full interview on the podcast player below or on iTunes as well as the video player above:
But as he told me, it became a world he felt very uncomfortable in.
"As time went by, I realised that doing television in the shiny floor sphere was something that... I didn't like it," he said, also adding that the world surrounding it was "false".
As a pundit, he has worked across numerous channels, including Match of the Day where he is often on alongside Newcastle legend Alan Shearer and anchor and ex-England striker Gary Lineker.
He spoke quite fondly of how former England team-mate Shearer has blossomed as an on-air presence.
"The problem that people have is that they don't know Alan Shearer. They didn't know him," Wright said of Shearer's critics from his early punditry days when they didn't see his true personality.
"We were in the England camp and he was so much fun. So much of a laugh. One of the lads. He's another one of those leaders who knows how to be a captain and be a mate at the same time.
"And we've just found as the years have gone by working together, we just enjoy working with each other.
"We're two different personalities but deep down there's a bit of devilment in Alan Shearer. People don't know but now they're starting to see it which is really good.
"I'm really pleased that I can call him my friend and we've got such a good time now."
Apart from Gary Neville and Arsenal Fan TV founder Robbie Lyle, recent interviews on Team 33 include former Man United cult hero Andrei Kanchelskis, former Ireland striker Niall Quinn, ex-England international Carlton Palmer, former Newcastle and Everton left back Alessandro Pistone, Chelsea legends Bobby Tambling and Paddy Mulligan, Dutch legend Johan Neeskens, ex-England striker Darius Vassell, Liverpool legend David Fairclough, former Ireland midfielder Mark Kinsella, USA captain Eric Lichaj and former Everton forward Tomasz Radzinski. Plus our in-depth chats with Tony Coton, Packie Bonner, Nobby Solano, Ron Atkinson and Alan Curbishley are still available on iTunes. You can find them all in one place by subscribing to Team 33 on iTunes.
