Ian Wright has named six players who he believes were underrated during their time at Arsenal, with the former striker naming one big surprise.
The Gunners legend is one of the most respected voices in the English football media landscape, with Wright also regarded as one of Arsenal’s best-ever players having scored 185 goals for the north London side.
Only bested by Thierry Henry at Arsenal in terms of goalscoring, Wright’s legacy looms large in N5, with the pundit’s legend now arguably even bigger since making the move into media on shows like Match of the Day.
And Wright has now named six players he believes were underrated at Arsenal.
World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit named as ‘underrated’ by Wright
Speaking to British GQ, Wright named former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit amongst the most underrated players to play for the Gunners, along with the likes of Martin Keown and Steve Bould.
Given that Petit won a FIFA World Cup with France and scoring in the 1998 final against Brazil, the inclusion of the legendary midfielder is quite the surprise given his huge status in the modern game.
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Yet for Wright, Petit classifies as one of Arsenal’s most ‘underrated’ players, along with other names such as Nigel Winterburn, David Hillier and Kevin Campbell.
Wright said: “Nigel Winterburn, Steve Bould from my time, probably Martin Keown. David Hillier, I’ve got to mention him. Kevin Campbell, I thought he was underrated. I think Emmanuel Petit, who obviously won the World Cup with France”
Wright himself could be considered an underrated Arsenal legend
As mentioned earlier, Wright current stands as Arsenal’s second all-time leading goalscorer, a stat that is often overlooked when regarding the former striker’s immense impact during his time in north London.
The 33-cap Three Lions international is often forgotten about when discussions begin over who are the great goalscorers in the English game, even with Wright as prolific as he was for the Arsenal.
And when considering the north London side’s most underrated legends, Wright could be in that category given his impact at the club, where the striker won the Premier League and two FA Cups.