Jim White Confronts Eni Aluko With Old Ian Wright Quote During Fiery Radio Show

TalkSPORT host Jim White brought up one of Eni Aluko's quotes about fellow pundit Ian Wright as the pair exchanged words in a much-talked-about interview on live radio.

Last week, Aluko reignited her long-running feud with Wright after suggesting that the latter showed "disrespect" by turning down her apology over remarks she made last year.

Aluko previously suggested that the former Arsenal and England striker was blocking opportunities for females to cover the women's game through his prominent role in women's football coverage.

She proceeded to issue a public apology, saying it was "wrong" for Wright's name to be raised in that conversation. "I've known and worked with Ian for many years and have nothing but love and respect for him," added Aluko.

But a short time later and Wright, who has long been an advocate for women's football, declined to accept the apology. "I'm very disappointed by what Eni has said," he said in April last year.

"She knows how I have helped her and supported her publicly. I can't accept it [the apology] but I also want to move on from it. I don't need any further social commentary directed at anyone."

Wright stressed how he wanted to move on from the saga but last week, Aluko brought up the subject again during a guest appearance on the 90s Baby Show podcast.

Here, Aluko mentioned that two of the six pundit spots across ITV and BBC’s coverage of last summer’s European Championship final were taken by men, which happened to be Wright and former Man City defender Nedum Onuoha.

Eni Aluko and Ian Wright worked together for ITV. Image credit: Getty

Aluko suggested the women’s game should be "gatekept" like the men’s game, adding: “In the women’s game, the opportunities are even more limited, so the main characters of the show should be the women."

She has also fired back with a statement to presenter Laura Woods as she doubled down and claimed "women's football should prioritise women as the faces of the sport".

On Tuesday morning, Aluko appeared on talkSPORT in an attempt to further clarify her comments.

She answered questions from host Jim White, who asked if she still speaks to Wright. "I would love to speak to him," she replied. "I would love to reconcile."

White responded to Aluko's response by asking: "Which means you haven't spoken to him since?"

Aluko admitted she hadn't spoken to Wright. "People have weaponised his name against me for the last nine months and I'm a bit fed up of it," she added. "I've done everything I can, privately and publicly, to re-establish a relationship."

White proceeded to bring up a recent comment made by Aluko about Wright.

Speaking on the 90s Baby Show podcast, which was released on Monday, she said: "I fully expected Ian to use his influence to keep me in the game. I’ve seen him do it with others, he did it with Gary Lineker at the BBC."

She added: “There’s nothing that would make me think he wouldn’t do that for me, because you’re the ally, you’re ‘Uncle.’ So the question to you is, why didn’t he do that for me?"

On the talkSPORT show on Tuesday, White brought up that comment.

He said: "But Eni, you were the one that said it: 'I fully expected Ian to use his influence to keep me on in the game, I've seen him do it with others - he did it with [Gary] Lineker at the BBC.' You said it! You're still saying it!"

Aluko responded by saying: "I think we're talking about two different things. The interview that I did with Women's Hour, I said that Ian's aware about how much he's doing in the women's game and we have to be conscious that the pathway for women isn't blocked. That was what I apologised for."

She added: "[The other quote] was nine months before, when I felt there was an opportunity for me to stay at ITV. I want to make this very clear, you will never find a video or a quote of me saying, 'Ian Wright should get out the women's game.' Because I think people are trying to make that what this is."