Kevin Campbell has claimed that Ian Wright deserves a statue at the Emirates Stadium while answering fan questions on the Highbury Squad YouTube channel.
One supporter asked the panel who they thought should be the next ex-player to have a statue at the Emirates.
While Patrick Vieira was put forward as a suggestion, Campbell believed that Wright deserves to be immortalised outside the ground.
“I can’t look past Ian Wright, honestly I can’t.” Campbell said.
“Someone who came into the club and scored that many goals. You know he came into football late as well, and he’s an Arsenal man. He loves the club, he’s got Arsenal running through his veins as well.
“I’m not saying Patrick (Vieira) doesn’t, but I think that connection Wrighty’s got and had with the fanbase as well. Vieira played in such a great team, most of that team could have statues. Ian Wright I believe deserves a statue.”
It’s hard to disagree with this point.
Wright wasn’t only a brilliant player, but he was a local lad whose story can act as an inspiration to everyone who has ever dreamed of being a footballer.
As Campbell says, it’s easy to forget that his former teammate came into football late, only joining Arsenal at the age of 27, but he still managed to become the club’s all-time record goalscorer, before having his own record broken by Thierry Henry.
The Gunners already have four statues outside the stadium, and it’s hard to argue that Wright doesn’t belong alongside Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Tony Adams and Herbert Chapman.
However, if Arsenal are to commission any more statues outside the stadium, we’d have to argue that Arsene Wenger should be at the top of that list, but when it comes to ex-players, Wright is amongst the most worthy.
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