Ian Wright

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Ian Wright's achievements span football and broadcasting. He is one of only a handful of players to win both the Premier League Golden Boot and the Premier League Hall of Fame induction. Wright's 185 goals for Arsenal made him the club's all-time top scorer for eight years, a record that stood until Thierry Henry surpassed it. He was the first player to score 100 Premier League goals for Arsenal. In media, Wright's BAFTA and RTS awards for sports presenting are rare for a former footballer. His OBE in 2023 recognized his contributions to football and charity, particularly through the Ian Wright Foundation, which supports underprivileged youth. Wright's ranking as #2 on the 2026 Powerlist highlights his influence beyond sport.

AwardsIan Wright has won numerous football and media awards. He won the Premier League Golden Boot twice (1991-92, 1992-93) and was named in the PFA Team of the Year twice. He was Arsenal Player of the Year in 1993-94 and Crystal Palace Player of the Year in 1989-90. Wright received the Football Writers' Association Tribute Award in 2000 and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022. In 2023, he was awarded an OBE for services to football and charity. He also won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Sports Presenter in 2021 and a Royal Television Society Award in 2022.

Honours & Distinctions

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

UK Government·2023

Awarded for services to football and charity.

English Football Hall of Fame

National Football Museum·2005

Inducted for his contributions to English football.

Premier League Hall of Fame

Premier League·2022

Inducted as part of the inaugural class.

Freedom of the City of London

City of London Corporation·2023

Honorary freedom for services to football and charity.

Honorary Doctorate

University of Greenwich·2012

For services to football and charity.

Honorary Doctorate

University of Bedfordshire·2015

For services to football and broadcasting.

Powerlist #2

Powerlist·2026

Ranked second most influential Black person in the UK.

Rankings & Lists

#Top 100

Premier League 100 Club

Premier League·2022

#67

100 Greatest Players of All Time

FourFourTwo·2020

#89

100 Greatest Footballers of All Time

The Guardian·2021

Top 10 Premier League Strikers

BBC·2023

Powerlist 2026

Powerlist·2026

Magazine Covers

FourFourTwo

October 1993

Wright: The Premier League's Deadliest

Match of the Day Magazine

November 1995

Wright's World

December 2019

Ian Wright: The People's Champion

The Sunday Times Magazine

January 2020

Ian Wright: From Prison to Pundit

The Guardian Weekend

June 2022

Ian Wright on Racism, Football and Fatherhood

Records & Feats

Most goals scored by a substitute in Premier League history

Career Milestone·1999

Wright scored 19 goals as a substitute in the Premier League, a record that still stands.

First Arsenal player to score 100 Premier League goals

Historic First·1998

Wright was the first Arsenal player to reach 100 Premier League goals, doing so in 1998.

Oldest player to make professional debut and become a top-level striker

Career Milestone·1985

Wright turned professional at age 22, later becoming one of the Premier League's greatest strikers.