Topics: Ian Wright, Gary Lineker, Football
Ian Wright has officially dethroned Gary Linker as the highest-paid football pundit just days after his public fallout with Eni Aluko.
Arsenal legend Wright recently dominated the headlines after fellow broadcaster Aluko made the controversial claim that he was blocking opportunities for female pundits in women's football.
In response to the backlash for his argument, Aluko released a public apology, claiming that the media of taking her argument out of context for clickbait, but Wright later confirmed that he was deeply hurt by the incident and would not accept Aluko's apology.
But it's not all bad news for the 61-year-old as a new report has revealed that his astonishing profit last year means that he is officially the highest earning pundit.
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It comes as no surprise that footballers with enough knowledge on the game or that have the charisma to become instant fan favourites can make a serious amount of money as a pundit after they retire.
For someone like Wright who boasts both of these traits, the opportunities are almost endless, and it's clear that he made the most of this as he reportedly took home almost £2.2m last year.
The report from The Sun uses details from Wright's the financial reports of Wright's firm, Elanar Ltd, which appear to show that he has over £1m saved in the bank and was made to pay a breathtaking £549,000 in corporation tax last year.
If true, this would suggest that he made a profit of £2.19m during that period.
A TV insider explained to the newspaper: “These figures show just how popular a figure Wrighty remains - both the viewing public and with TV execs and advertisers who clearly think he’s worth every penny they pay him.”
Wright's earnings make him comfortably the highest-earning pundit in the game, eclipsing close friend Gary Lineker who was paid £1.35m by the BBC as host of Match of the Day.
But it's not just football punditry that has allowed Wright to build up such as massive salary, as commercial deals with various organisations like Marks & Spencer and adidas also help contribute to his income.
