Eniola Aluko apologises after blasting Ian Wright

Former England star Eniola Aluko has confessed she was wrong to publicly criticise Arsenal legend Ian Wright over his role in women’s football, months after their fallout caused a storm.

Aluko, who sparked outrage in April when she claimed Wright was “blocking opportunities” for female pundits, now admits she handled the situation poorly and should have kept her comments general rather than making it personal.

Speaking to The Mirror, Aluko said:

“I think I could have done better in responding to the question I was asked, and just keeping it as a general issue… I’ve always been the person to hold my hands up and say, ‘I got that one wrong.’”

Aluko revealed she reached out to Wright privately before issuing a public apology on Instagram – but says Wright refused to accept it.

“Apologies are acts of respect, and I did a lot to try to apologise to Ian privately,” she explained. “When you see a public apology, it’s the last resort. But I respect how he feels. If it’s not the right time for a conversation, that’s fine.”

The spat began when Aluko suggested on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour that Wright needed to be “aware of how much space he takes up in the women’s game,” warning that male involvement could limit opportunities for women in broadcasting.

Wright, who has been a vocal supporter of women’s football and co-hosts a podcast on the game, hit back in a video message, saying he was “very disappointed” and could not accept her apology.

“She knows how I’ve helped her and supported her publicly,” Wright said. “I’ve seen the apology, but I can’t accept it. I want to move on.”

The Arsenal legend stressed that the women’s game “isn’t about me, it has to be about the collective,” adding:

“Men banned women’s football for 50 years, so we have to own that and do everything to help fix the systemic challenges.”

Meanwhile, Aluko has faced heavy online abuse since the row erupted and recently won the first stage of a High Court libel case against Joey Barton over defamatory remarks.

The debate around Aluko’s comments has divided opinion, with some backing her call for more space for women and others defending Wright as one of the biggest male advocates for the women’s game.