As we are in the month of October, which means that it is Black History Month, I decided I would highlight another pioneer who has made it possible for others to believe in fulfilling their dreams and turning them into reality. Some of you might know who I am talking about straight away as soon as I mention his name, others might only know him as he is a TV pundit. Personally, I see him as someone who has used his platform to make people aware of issues which continue to be a topic of discussion. I’m talking about Ian Wright.

Those of you who are old enough to know him well know that he was a professional footballer who played for various teams in England and Scotland and for this country. He is synonymous with Arsenal F.C. as being one of the greatest strikers to have played for them. Post playing football he has taken on a lot of media punditry, sharing his knowledge in order to give opinions on match analysis and a players performance. He has also used his platform to speak up against racial issues with the world of football. In a world where there are underlying issues within sport, not just football Ian Wright along with other sporting athletes have become pioneers (Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford etc) in terms of trying to change the narrative about how to tackle the problem of racism within the game.

A charismatic character on and off the pitch, Ian Wright has had a very successful career mainly with Arsenal, winning an array of medals, but also encouraging and inspiring a generation of individuals to take up the sport of football or even turning a passion into a profession. He has opened doors for others to follow, especially in the world of media and football punditry. Currently working for an array of broadcasting companies as well as being an Ambassador for Arsenal and Adidas, he is a great example to others of what can be achieved through adversity and perseverance.