Arsenal legend Ian Wright was touched by the sight of his former club's players warming up in a training top he designed ahead of their win over Wolves on Saturday. The classy gesture commemorated Wright, who was once the Gunners' record goal-scorer, turning 60 last month.
Wright cut his teeth with Crystal Palace in the professional game, and by the time he was brought to Highbury in 1991, he had nurtured a reputation for being lethal in front of goal.
The sharp-shooting striker bagged 185 times in 288 first-team appearances for the Gunners, which stood as the club record until it was surpassed by another north London icon - Thierry Henry - in 2005.
To mark Wright turning 60 last month, the former England international was permitted by Arsenal and sponsors Adidas to design a sentimental training top, featuring prominent moments from his playing days, which the players wore before kick-off against Wolves.
Ian Wright was moved by Arsenal's birthday tribute before their win over Wolves
"It’s a beautiful gesture from Arsenal for my 60th birthday," Wright told Premier League Productions. "That shirt is just different patches of my Arsenal career, my Arsenal moments and my friends. David Seaman is on there. Kelly Smith. David Rocastle. Tony Adams.
"Just little moments of my career and how it went. The club have been amazing. For them to do that, alongside Adidas, it’s just a dream come true. And now the team is warming up in them, I think I am going to cry."Arsenal made sure their performance didn't sour the occasion for Wright, with early goals from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard putting Mikel Arteta's side in control. Matheus Cunha clawed one back for Wolves late on, but the visitors failed to muster an equaliser as the game finished 2-1.
The Gunners were rewarded with a four-point buffer at the top of the Premier League table ahead of Manchester City's clash with Tottenham on Sunday. And Arteta was full of admiration for the way his team performed.
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Arsenal stars warmed up in a training top designed by Ian Wright (Image: Getty)
"I can only praise the players and the way they played and competed," he said after the final whistle. "They were excellent. We played against a really good side and we generated so much and conceded almost nothing.
"The scoreline should’ve been very different. We were really unlucky in certain moments, we hit the post twice or three times I think, and at the end we made an error close to the goal and in the Premier League you get punished big time and then it’s game on. But I am really, really happy with how we performed again."
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