1 day Ago
Eni Aluko has quit her role as host at the Women’s Football Awards amid a backlash over comments she made about Arsenal legend Ian Wright. Aluko accused Wright of “blocking opportunities for women” in women’s football and dominating punditry during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour last week. The former Lionesses player has since apologised to Wright, though he said he could not accept her apology.
Aluko was meant to co-host the Women’s Football Awards on May 1 alongside Jamie Carragher and Gabby Logan but said in a statement she has decided to step back from her role as she does not want to detract from the event. Aluko’s photograph has since been removed from the event’s publicity material, with only Carragher and Logan now featuring. “The Women’s Football Awards hold a special place in my heart,’ Aluko said in a statement.
“It was the first time an event of this scale was created solely to celebrate the incredible achievements in women’s football, and I’m so proud to have been part of it since the beginning. “However, I’ve decided to take a step back from being part of the hosting lineup this year. I don’t want anything to deflect from the joy, recognition, and celebration that this event is all about.
“This event belongs to the players, coaches, fans, and everyone who has worked tirelessly to elevate the women’s game. “The awards will be hosted in the very capable hands of Gabby Logan and Jamie Carragher, who I know will bring their passion and energy to the stage. I love women’s football deeply, I’m proud of how far we’ve come, and I’ll absolutely be back involved in the future.
” Wright has received overwhelming support since Aluko’s comments last week, with several members of the Lionesses squad liking his Instagram post at the weekend. Wright said on Saturday: “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.” The post was liked by Alessia Russo, Mary Earps, Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp as well as other prominent players in the women’s game. In the video, Wright also thanked Kayleigh McDonald, the former Stoke City player who told Telegraph Sport how he had been paying for her rehab, which costs £1,700 per month, for an anterior cruciate ligament injury since the start of the year.
“I wouldn’t be in a great place mentally if it wasn’t for Ian Wright,” McDonald told Telegraph Sport . “I would probably still be waiting for my surgery if it wasn’t for him. For him to do this for me, someone he didn’t know, I think there should be more of a spotlight shone on him.
” Aluko’s apology to Wright came after she denied “attacking” him. “Ian Wright is a brilliant broadcaster and role model whose support for the women’s game has been significant,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.”.
