Eni Aluko denies criticising Ian Wright for media work in women’s football

Eni Aluko has denied she “attacked” Ian Wright with her comments over his involvement as a pundit in women’s football.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour this week, the former England forward discussed the risk of men blocking opportunities for female broadcasters in women’s football. When asked by the presenter Clare McDonnell whether Wright was an example of someone taking up space that could be occupied by a woman, Aluko said: “I’ve worked with Ian a long time and, you know, I think he’s a brilliant broadcaster. But I think he’s aware of just how much he’s doing in the women’s game. I think he should be aware of that.”

Aluko added: “I think we need to be conscious and we need to make sure that women are not being blocked from having a pathway in broadcasting in the women’s game. It’s still new, it’s still growing. There’s a finite amount of opportunities and I think that men need to be aware of that. Men need to be aware that you’re in a growing sport for women and we haven’t always had these opportunities. It’s about the awareness and supporting other women through that pathway.”

After media scrutiny over her comments, Aluko posted on Instagram with a link to her BBC interview to highlight the “full context” of her comments.

“I’m sharing this full episode here again so people can actually listen to everything I said with full context,” Aluko wrote. “Contrary to clickbait media headlines no one was ‘attacked’ or ‘accused’ during this interview. There are lots of examples of men in women’s sport. Ian Wright is one. And as I said in the interview – Ian Wright is brilliant.”

Wright was part of the BBC’s coverage of Euro 2022 when he implored, after England’s semi-final victory over Sweden, for girls to have the same access to football in schools as boys. His advocacy for the women’s game has stretched to paying for the anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation of Kayleigh McDonald, who sustained the injury while playing for Stoke City last year.

“I wouldn’t be in a great place mentally if it wasn’t for Ian Wright,” McDonald told the Telegraph. “For him to do this for me, someone he didn’t know, I think there should be more of a spotlight shone on him.”

Aluko won 105 England caps and made history in 2014 as the first woman to appear as a pundit on Match of the Day. She has worked for TNT and Amazon Prime among others.