'I'm an Arsenal legend but the best seven months of my career were elsewhere'
Ian Wright made a surprising comment about his playing career as his beloved Arsenal take on Burnley away from home in the Premier League
Arsenal legend Ian Wright once admitted the seven best months of his career were actually at Burnley. Premier League leaders Arsenal will make the trip north to Turf Moor this Saturday to face Scott Parker’s side in a 3pm kick-off.
The Gunners, led by Mikel Arteta, are expected to claim all three points and maintain their four-point gap atop the table against newly-promoted Burnley. Watching the game eagerly will be Gunners hero Wright.
The former striker played 288 games for the north Londoners and was once their all-time leading goal-scorer with 185 goals. In his post-playing career, which included Crystal Palace and later brief spells with West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Celtic, Wright has become synonymous with Arsenal as a vocal presence in the media.
But many might have forgotten that he in fact ended his career at Burnley. The Englishman arrived at Turf Moor in February 2000 to play under Stan Ternent, and helped the Clarets win promotion from the old Second Division with four goals in 15 appearances, before hanging up his boots.
Despite that meagre tally in comparison to his days at Highbury, those months with Burnley left a lasting impression on Wright, especially given that he struggled for two years as a journeyman after leaving the Gunners.
READ MORE: Tony Adams names Arsenal player's shirt he's desperate to win in new Poppy Appeal campaignREAD MORE: Gary Lineker sends former MOTD colleague Micah Richards clear advice after quit decisionHe is still appreciative of the club and has a soft spot for them for helping to end his 15-year playing career on a high note, even going as far as to say it was the ‘best’ period of his career.
Discussing his time there on the Stick To Football podcast last year, the 61-year-old said: “I went to West Ham, Nottingham Forest on loan and then Celtic, but it was when I got to Burnley with Stan Ternent, who also did some great things for me at [Crystal] Palace.
“He was the first coach that used to really sit me down, he used to draw it out what runs you’re supposed to make, why you have to hold the ball here, when you have to be the target and all this sort of stuff and he said ‘I know it’s not gone too well at Celtic, but I’ve got a good bunch of lads here and I think we can do it’.”
In a stunning assessment of his time there, given his Arsenal loyalties, Wright added: “I went in there and it was the best six or seven months of my career.
“It went full circle for me because all of a sudden you’re back down to getting changed in not great changing rooms and it was really hardcore. It felt like it brought me back to Sunday League, it was proper football.
“But the thing with it was, the players and the camaraderie of that for me [was the perfect way] to end [my career]. The way it was going, I had four clubs in one season, but by the time I finished we got promoted.
“This is why I’ve got such a nice vibe with Burnley. They gave me something at the end.”
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