Ian Wright Position: Striker Born: 3 November 1963 International career: England 1991-98, 33 caps So loved they named him thrice. Ian Wright Wright Wright had all the buzz of a wasp trapped in a bottle, an explosive burst of speed, the full range of finishing skills and a personality that never hid his commitment and appreciation at his rich fortune at being able to play the game for a damn good living. In an odd sense, and in an opinion he may not agree with, he was ill-served by Arsenal who embraced a far less flowing and more functional style when they signed him, eventually jettisoning Anders Limpar, Paul Davis and David Rocastle, with Alan Smith succumbing to the injuries that finished his career, replacing them with the likes of Ian Selley, David Hillier, John Jensen and Stefan Schwarz and burdening Wright with the responsibility of nicking a goal. That he managed to do so with such frequency, 185 in seven years, is testament to his prowess and dedication. His England career stalled under Terry Venables but Glenn Hoddle appreciated his mercurial gifts and his underestimated industry and he played a crucial role in helping England qualify for France ’98 with a selfless display in the draw in Rome in 1997. Sadly, he was hamstrung by the injury that ruled him out of Arsenal’s run to the Double in 1998 by the time Hoddle finalised his squad and it is a little-remembered fact that the player who capitalised on his absence to make the squad was a certain Michael Owen, to whom Hoddle (‘he’s not a natural finisher’) was yet to warm. Picture: ACTION IMAGES

Credit : ACTION IMAGES