Rachel Daly and Erling Haaland win PFA player of the year awards". The Guardian. 29 August 2023 . Retrieved 30 August 2023.

Although those early opportunities were contrasting, the pair share a few crucial experiences that are fundamental to the book they have written together. Both men were significantly defined in their formative years by the absence of fathers. Okwonga’s dad had been Uganda’s chief army surgeon and during the civil war in the 1980s was killed, when Musa was four, when a helicopter in which he was travelling was hit by a missile, almost certainly fired by members of current president Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Army.Sydney Pigden, inspirational teacher – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 9 March 2018 . Retrieved 7 October 2018. Taylor, who became England manager after the 1990 World Cup in Italy [45] and remained in charge for 38 matches, [45] only handed Wright nine starts and seven substitute appearances. [46] He opted instead to use a whole host of less prolific strikers, including Nigel Clough of Nottingham Forest, Paul Stewart of Tottenham Hotspur, David Hirst of Sheffield Wednesday and Brian Deane of Sheffield United. [46] Wright did not make it into the squad for Euro 1992, with Clough, Gary Lineker of Tottenham Hotspur, Alan Shearer of Southampton and Arsenal teammates Alan Smith and Paul Merson preferred. This was particularly surprising as Wright had been the highest top division goalscorer in England that season. [43] [47] Sure enough, we went in hard for a challenge, but I’m not trying to do him because all I’m thinking about is how I’ve got to watch myself. My foot went over, skimmed up his leg and gone bang into his groin.

Wright loves the role that he has been given in Okwonga’s storytelling. “The great thing about the book,” he says, “is it’s kind of me talking to my younger self. And Jerome doesn’t always respond to my character, despite all the help I’m trying to give. I like that. Because part of being a mentor is not pressuring people but giving them some space. That’s the kind of advice I would have wanted.” On 18 May 2012, Wright was named as a first team coach at Milton Keynes Dons. [63] He left the role in 2013. [64] Broadcasting career [ edit ] Television [ edit ] Wright began his television career as a guest host on Top of the Pops. [65] He was later signed up by ITV to present his own chat show, Friday Night's All Wright, [65] where he interviewed celebrities such as Elton John, [66] Mariah Carey and Will Smith [67] which ran for two series.When we started out with the book,” Okwonga says, “Ian said he wanted it to be like therapy from the community.” He has tried to weave all the elements in that might support a child like Jerome: mentors from church; his kindly uncle at the barbershop; the friendly faces in the neighbourhood takeaway. And, of course, football. “There’s that great lyric by [the rapper] Dave,” Okwonga says. “‘It ain’t who came around but more about who stayed around.’ A lot of people come and go in a life like Jerome’s. Even though this is Ian Wright the famous footballer, who is to say he will stay around?” before going on to break the 30 club-goal barrier five times in the following six seasons. [ citation needed] Despite Wright's goalscoring feats, the highest number of games he started for England consecutively was three—something he only did twice. [43] Wright scored 117 goals in 253 starts and 24 substitute appearances over six seasons for The Eagles in all competitions, [4] making him the club's record post-war goalscorer [18] and third on the all-time list. [21] The arrival of Bruce Rioch heralded a bleaker time; the two did not get on and eventually Wright handed in a transfer request which he later retracted. [4] The arrival of Dennis Bergkamp brought a brief but fruitful striking partnership: in their first season together they helped Arsenal finish fifth in the league and qualify for the UEFA Cup. [27] They also reached the League Cup semi-finals, in which they lost on away goals to eventual winners Aston Villa. [28] On 17 April 2008, Wright quit his job on Match of the Day and criticised the programme for using him as a "comedy jester", saying "Fans want people who are dressed like them. They've got no one to relate to on TV and that's why I've said to them I don't want to do the England games any more." [87]