The Big Interview: Ian Wright talks #OneMoreGame, Arsenal & Chicken Tonight

Twitter and footballers don’t always mix. Having 30,000 people hurl abuse at you for a designated ninety minutes each weekend is one thing; receiving updates from millions on a twenty-four-hour basis, describing why they hate you in intricate, precise and sometimes poetic detail, is another.

But one footballer, albeit now retired, who’s embraced his social media following is Crystal Palace and Arsenal hero Ian Wright. Upon reaching a whopping 1,000,000 followers on Twitter last month, the former striker felt compelled to give something back to his fans, and thus, #OneMoreGame was born.

To celebrate his milestone, the Gunners icon is returning to the pitch for one last outing – with some of his Twitter followers playing alongside him. And as if the occasion wasn’t already special for those fortunate enough to be selected, the match will be held at Wembley on Tuesday 21st of April, arranged by Ball Street and Vauxhall England.

As keen to tell us more about it as we were to pick the brains of a man who scored 113 Premier League goals and made Chicken Tonight a national sensation, Football Fancast met up with Wright at Ball Street’s media day for #OneMoreGame.

So why don’t you start telling us a bit about #OneMoreGame and where the idea came from?

Well, I was closing in on a million followers – and I never envisaged getting a million followers, especially when I started on Twitter.

As soon as you go on there, everybody’s just so abusive and it was really nasty. So I came off Twitter three times, but eventually I said ‘ you know what’ and just stayed on. When you start speaking to people you realise they’re writing nasty things but they’re not actually meaning it; they’re just saying it for the reaction. What I got in reply was a lot of; “Oh I didn’t think you’d answer, but I think you’re this and that and I think you’re a legend, sorry mate!”

So I stayed on and started getting towards a million followers, so I said Matt and the Ball Street guys that we should do something special – a million’s a pretty big number. The fans don’t get enough as it is. Everybody gets something out of the game at the moment – the players get money out of it, as do the managers and the media – except for the fans. They don’t get rewarded for their loyalty and their faith in their team, so I wanted to give the fans something. The opportunity to play at Wembley with me in my last game.

You can’t talk to Ian Wright about playing at Wembley and not mention the 1990 FA Cup final. You can’t even say the word Wembley without wanting to bring it up. It was the elephant in the room, the rugby ball in the onion bag, so we nudged the Eagles icon in the right direction. What are your memories of playing at Wembley?

I was very, very fortunate to win medals, win the Premier League and win the FA Cup a couple of times, but when you boil it down, my greatest memory would be the time I went with Crystal Palace. Simply because we were the underdogs. It was a great occasion for the club, and you can’t say whether or not Crystal Palace are going to go back there again at some stage, so it was almost like a once in a life time thing.

And to get there. I broke my leg twice that season, and we beat Liverpool 4-3 in the semi-finals after losing to them 9-0 earlier in the season. I missed that one and thought I was going to miss the final as well because of the leg, but I ended up getting on, scoring twice and being seven minutes away from winning it. It was my greatest moment in football – especially the first goal. It brought me to the public consciousness and that’s when things really started to happen for me.

Compared to a final in which he etched his name in footballing folk law by scoring twice from the bench, only going on to lose in the replay to Manchester United, the 1998 FA Cup final was a complete contrast. In his last act as an Arsenal player, Wright was an unused substitute as the Gunners beat Newcastle 2-0. Do you feel like there’s unfinished business for you at Wembley?

Not really, not in that particular instance. It was really strange because Arsene Wenger, you see he’s very football minded, he’s very disciplined in his thoughts. So in the evening, when we were at the dinner, he came and apologised for not bringing me on, simply because he was so wrapped up in it all.

It didn’t bother me. I think a lot of Arsenal fans were saying ‘Oh I’d love Ian Wright to come on’. I warmed up a couple of times and started to realise I wasn’t going to come on. But it was fine, because I’d had a lot of injuries that season and I’d just come back, so Arsene Wenger himself apologising was more than enough for me. And the times we did win it were magnificent. I always wanted an FA Cup final winning medial because that was the game I used to watch as a child. Growing up it was the game I always wanted to play in.

The #OneMoreGame campaign gave us the perfect opportunity to test Wright at Football Fancast’s world-famous (totally not a rip off of one-to-eleven) segment Fantasy Five-Aside – previously challenged by such footballing dignitaries as Chris Waddle, Jeff Stelling and Ray Parlour.

OK Ian, Chris Waddle, Jeff Stelling and Ray Parlour all had absolutely fantastic teams so no pressure. The first player is the greatest player you’ve ever played alongside.

Dennis Bergkamp.

And the second is the greatest you’ve played against.

Zinedine Zidane.

Your footballing role model growing up for No.3?

I think I’d have to give it to Kevin Keegan, he was the one I thought about a lot when I was a kid.

Somebody playing now you wish you could’ve played with?

In world football? I’ll take Messi. I’d love to play with Messi.

Wouldn’t we all. And finally, any goalkeeper.

See, David Seaman’s amazing. I have to go with David Seaman.

Wright famously turned professional later than most footballers, aged 22, after a Crystal Palace scout noticed him scoring for fun at Greenwich Borough. It’s an unusual route to the top, especially in the Premier League era. Is there a stigmatism stopping amateurs getting those chances today? The idea that if you’re that good, you would’ve been noticed already?

No, simply because people like Rickie Lambert have recently done it as well – I guess I’ve done it and Les Ferdinand did it too. I think if you’re good enough you will be found. Obviously you want to be found as soon as you possibly can but sometimes people go through their young stage, the teens, and it just doesn’t happen because they’re not developed enough. Even up to 18 or 19, I still wasn’t of the stature I was when I eventually signed for Palace.

What do you think the biggest difference is between your generation of footballers and the current one? Both on and off the pitch?

I think they’re under a lot more pressure, on and off the pitch, than we were. There’s a lot more playacting, which is quite frustrating, and they’re much more scrutinised off the pitch – I think it was just starting around my time.

But I must admit they do look more finely tuned. Obviously, you have to be really fit – and we were really fit – but with all the nutrition and the different techniques of warming up and training, they do look more finely tuned, more sharp. There’s a lot more injures now but maybe that’s because they are so finely tuned. Also the game has got a lot quicker – it seems like it’s got a lot quicker anyway!

Do you think you’d make the current Arsenal team then?

This current one? I like to think I could make that team, yeah.

So you’ve stood the test of time?

If we’re talking about The Invincibles, in and around that time, I’m not sure. But after that, after Thierry Henry left, I feel I could’ve made the Arsenal sides. But that Invincibles side was amazing – I wouldn’t mind being on the bench for that team.

It’s been an interesting season for Arsenal. They started slowly but have claimed 33 points from a possible 39 since the turn of 2015, and now look set to clinch runner-up spot in the Premier League. They’re also in the semi-final of the FA Cup. What’s your take on Arsenal’s year?

Well it’s gone how you’d expect Arsenal’s season to go; they began pretty slowly, got a head of steam, started to do really well, are finishing strongly and will probably end up in around fourth like they normally do.

It seems a little bit like Groundhog day but hopefully they can get to the FA Cup final and finish third or second. For me, that will be a good season. I know we couldn’t have done much more on last season. So if we can finish third or second that’s got to be an improvement and if we win the FA Cup that’s got to be very positive.

Who do you think they should buy this summer? I read your comments about Raheem Sterling.

I’m sure Raheem Sterling will sign for Liverpool, I’d just like to see Arsenal making waves. I saw Raheem say ‘it’s flattering’ after he got mentioned with Arsenal and it is flattering when teams want you. Of course it is! But it’s one of those – I’m not sure if Arsenal will get him simply because Liverpool will do all they can to keep him. I would just like to know Arsenal are trying to sign players of that calibre.

We’d been bigging up Wrighty all afternoon. Now it was time to bring him down a peg or two. He’s better than Shaun. He’s better than Shaun. Bradley Wright-Phillips, he’s better than Shaun. True or false?

I can’t answer that question! The weird thing is, they weren’t even that competitive with each other when they were kids. But I’ve seen them both do things that I’m very, very proud of that impressed me so much and I’d never ever, ever answer that question!

When you’re home alone, do you ever put on your Just Did It t-shirt and sing Chicken Tonight?

No! My Just Did It t-shirt’s in a hotel somewhere unfortunately. And I’ve got to say, with the Chicken tonight thing, I’m very flattered because I think that’s like thirty-odd years and people still talk about it. In respect of advertising, it’s been an absolute success – it’s done its job.

When’s the last time you listened to Do The Right Thing?

I don’t listen to Do The Right Thing. Absolutely not, no.

And finally, Arsene Wenger vs George Graham. No holds barred, straight up street fight. Who wins?

Haha, oh dear. I think George Graham might with his old rugged Scottishness.

Wenger’s got reach though?

He’s got reach but George Graham’s got that Scottish ruggedness. He might take him, I’m not sure. Hopefully it never happens!

Hopefully it does, it’d be hilarious. Thanks Ian, you’ve been a pleasure.

Ian Wright was talking at Ball Street’s media day for #OneMoreGame. Please subscribe to Ball Street’s YouTube channel to follow Wrighty’s journey to #OneMoreGame – https://www.youtube.com/user/ Ballstreetchannel