Ian Wright has revealed why he decided to leave Match of the Day following his emotional final appearance.
The Arsenal legend made his final appearance on the BBC’s famous highlights show on the final day of the Premier League season, after announcing in December that he would be leaving his pundit role.
He made his debut on the show as a player in 1997, before becoming a regular pundit five years after his retirement.
The 60-year-old opened up about his emotional final episode and revealed why he decided to leave the show after more than two decades.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, presented by sky bet, Wright said: ‘It’s time. I had a dear friend who said that sometimes you have to know when to step back, change, rest, take a break and say no, it’s time.
Ian Wright has revealed why he decided to leave BBC highlight show Match of the Day
Wright seemed emotional as he made his final appearance as an expert on Sunday’s show.
‘The way I am now, because I have to get back to London (after filming), it’s like 3:30 in the morning, it’s a long day. I leave at 8 in the morning and return at midnight.
“I don’t want to stay in Manchester. I used to, but there are personal reasons why I always want to come home (after filming).
‘Especially, when you’re on Match of the Day, you’re live and I’ve had a big problem before with people knowing where you are, so I always want to go home to my missus and the girls.
“It only takes me two or three days to prepare and there are other things I’m doing that sometimes I just don’t have the energy for.”
“I’m getting older, I just want to make sure I use the time well and efficiently for myself and right now, Match of the Day is the one where if anything had to go, it had to be that.”
Wright’s last appearance on the show coincided with the end of the Premier League season and the title race between Manchester City and Arsenal.
The former Arsenal striker would have expected to bow out with the Gunners winning their first title in two decades, but Pep Guardiola’s side sealed their fourth successive title with a 3-1 victory over another of his former teams, West Ham.
He admitted that Arsenal’s failure to win the title “dimmed the day a bit” but became increasingly emotional as he said goodbye to those he had worked with on the highlights programme.
Wright said that as he gets older he wants to use his time well and efficiently before saying “if anything had to come out” it would be Game of the Day.
Wright made his first appearance on the show alongside then-presenter Des Lynam in 1997.
Wright’s first appearance on the iconic show saw him share the stage with Trevor Brooking.
He said: ‘I don’t I realized it was going to affect me like it did, but with the day and Arsenal losing, Manchester City scoring so early, it dampened the day a little bit.
‘As the day progressed and you entered the studio, you said goodbye all day to people you had seen for many years: runners who are now producers and gallery people.
‘So, everything grew, I became more and more excited. While I was doing the show, you’re in show mode, then the grandchildren came and that finished me off.
“All my grandchildren are Manchester City fans, my granddaughter was trolling me and saying: ‘Well done grandpa, but City are the best.’
Wright, in his final episode, offered emotional final words to host Gary Lineker and pundit Alan Shearer, saying the show meant “the world to me.”
Wright received a special cap to commemorate his time working on the top show.
Pundit Alan Shearer paid tribute to Wright and said he will be missed on the show.
He told his colleagues: ‘I’m going to miss you guys, really.
‘This has been the best for me. Match of the day means the world to me, you guys don’t even know it.
“That’s why I got eight, nine, ten (tattoos), my two boys that I love so much. People laugh at me, but I love you.”
Shearer responded by saying, “We’ll miss you on Saturdays,” while Lineker praised Wright’s contribution to the program.
Former England captain Lineker told Wright: “It has been an absolute pleasure and a delight to work with you for so long and you are a breath of fresh air – always have been.”
Ian Wright spoke on the Stick to Football podcast, presented by Heaven’s bet.