Interview

Wright - The story behind me wearing the No 8

When you think of Ian Wright, you think of him scoring goals for Arsenal in the No 8 shirt - but why that number?

In conversation with Alex Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang filmed in February, our former record goalscorer revealed the story behind it.

"With the No 8, when I was at Crystal Palace I was No 10, but when you came here to Arsenal, you couldn’t get a number," Wright told Arsenal Player. "I think the only person who got a number, and it was when George Graham left, was Dennis Bergkamp and Paul Merson gave it to Dennis. 

"But when I came, Alan Smith was going to play in the game, that Leicester game when I didn’t know I was playing until the afternoon, and how it works is, Alan Smith pulled out of that game, so that was the only game I played for Arsenal in the No 9. 

"When Alan Smith came back to the game on Saturday against Southampton, he got the No 9 back and they left Paul Davis out, who was No 8 and that’s how I got the No 8. Because I got the No 8 in my second game for Arsenal and scored a hat-trick, I didn’t give it back to nobody!"