Wright says he 'cannot accept' Aluko's apology

Wright has been an advocate of the women's game for many years

Ian Wright says he "cannot accept" Eni Aluko's apology for suggesting the former England striker risked blocking female pundits from being given broadcasting opportunities.

Wright, who is a pundit for various outlets on the men's and women's game, said he had seen the apology from the ex-England forward but wanted to move on from it.

"I'm very disappointed by what Eni has said," the 61-year-old Arsenal legend said. "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 has long been an advocate for women's football, on which he has worked regularly as a pundit, with particular focus on Lionesses matches.

In her interview with BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour on Wednesday, Aluko - who has worked alongside Wright as a pundit - said he needed to be aware of how much he works in the women's game as there are only a "finite amount of opportunities" for women.

The former Chelsea player, 38, has faced scrutiny for her comments.

She apologised on Instagram on Friday, saying: "Ian Wright is a brilliant broadcaster and role model whose support for the women's game has been significant.

"In my interview with Woman's Hour this week, I was trying to make a broader point about the limited opportunities for women in football - whether that's in coaching, broadcasting or commercial spaces - and the importance of creating more space for women to thrive on and off the pitch.

"But it was wrong for Ian's name to be raised in that conversation, and for that I sincerely apologise. I've known and worked with Ian for many years and have nothing but love and respect for him."

Wright thanked the public for their comments of support towards him, but said more needs to be done to help the women's game grow.

"Because of the past, where men blocked the women's game for 50 years, the game has serious systemic challenges and it is going to take everyone to help fix it," he added.

"We are the country that invented modern football so we have a responsibility to lead the way in women's football.

"For me, I will always give back to the game. It has given me so much.

"It has never bothered me about who is playing the game, as long as they are playing the game. If you know my story, you know how much football means to me."