Eni Aluko left ‘traumatised and upset’ by public fallout with Ian Wright

Ian Wright said he was “very disappointed” by Eni Aluko’s claims he “dominates” women’s football coverage and refused to accept her apology – which has left the pundit “traumatised and upset”

Eni Aluko’s mother has claimed she is “traumatised” by her public fallout with Ian Wright – after claiming the pundit was blocking the pathway for female pundits in women’s football. Aluko has since apologised to the Arsenal legend, but he insisted he could not accept it.

Aluko name-dropped Wright during a discussion on the BBC Four radio show Woman’s Hour while being asked about limited opportunities for women in football and suggested he was “dominating” the female arena.

She later distanced herself from the comments in a post on Instagram, saying she had “nothing but love and respect” for Wright and called him a “brilliant broadcaster”.

But after Wright claimed he was “very disappointed” about what Aluko said and refused to forgive her, the ex-Chelsea forward’s mother Sileola has detailed the toll that the whole debacle has had on her daughter.

“This situation has affected Eni quite a lot and has left her traumatised and upset,” she told the Daily Mail. “I’m doing my best to keep her calm and just be a good mum. I’m constantly in touch with her and even met her for lunch the other day.

READ MORE: Ian Wright REJECTS Eni Aluko’s apology as Arsenal icon breaks silence – ‘I can’t accept’READ MORE: Eni Aluko issues apology to Ian Wright amid punditry storm – ‘It was wrong’

“I told her that football is not the world and that you don’t become a bad or useless person in one day. It’s been tough for her, she has a lot of strong opinions, but she will come through this. She has dealt with a lot of other difficult situations in her life.

“The most important thing for me is that I support her and make sure she does not run into any emotional or physical problems and become unwell. I’m a person of faith and have been praying with her to help keep her calm and not be afraid.

“But she wasn’t expecting the reaction she got when she made those comments, and they were not intended to cause offence. This situation has also upset me but all I want is for her to be calm and everything will be all right.”

Aluko and Wright have often been seen working together on ITV for coverage of England and FA Cup games and the female pundit quickly tried to clarify her views as she admitted she was “wrong” to mention his name.

“In my interview with Woman’s Hour this week, I was trying to make a broader point about the limited opportunities for women in football – whether that’s in coaching, broadcasting or commercial spaces – and the importance of creating more space for women to thrive on and off the pitch.

“But it was wrong for Ian’s name to be raised in that conversation, and for that I sincerely apologise. I’ve known and worked with Ian for many years and have nothing but love and respect for him.”

Wright responded in his own statement: “I’ve got to say, I’m very disappointed about what Eni has said, she knows how I’ve helped her, supported her publicly, and I know the previous conversations she’s had with me and my management. I’ve seen the apology on social media, but I can’t accept it, but I also want to move on.

“For anyone watching this, I really don’t need any further social commentary directed on any of this. The thing about where the women’s game is, it isn’t about me – it has to be about the collective.”

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