FOOTBALL legend Ian Wright fought back tears on This Morning today as he spoke about the teacher who changed his life.
The former Crystal Palace and Arsenal star warned he was liable to get emotional as they showed footage of he and Mr Pigden together.
He said: “Please don’t show too much of this, I go all the time” before appearing to fight back tears.
Ian, who was Arsenal‘s leading scorer five seasons, spoke about how his place in the Premier League Hall of Fame was dedicated to the teacher.
He said: “When they said they were going to vote me in I couldn’t stop crying. I must have cried for two days.”
Ian, 58, added: “My teacher was the one who taught me to read, taught me to play football. That’s why I dedicated it to him.
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“I had to because he was the one who helped me to understand. Mr Pigeon.”
He explained how the teacher – who died some years ago – backed him playing football and gave him a helping hand when he wasn’t doing well in class.
Ian said: “I met him when I was seven and I’d been put of the classroom for the third time that week. I’d been having problems.
“He taught me to read, he taught me to write. Gave me the responsibility – I was able to do the register, I was a milk monitor. You know, all that stuff.
“He gave me some love. He died in 2017 and the Hall of Fame is not for me, it’s for him.”
The pair were reunited in a famous on-camera moment which was shown on This Morning today.
In it, the teacher comes up behind him, leaving an astonished Ian replying quietly: “I can’t believe it. Someone said you was dead.”
Fans were delighted to see Ian on This Morning today, with one tweeting: “Simply one of the nicest men ever!! Radiates joy.”
Another posted: “Happy you got the recognition and firmly in the hall of fame Ian Wright.”
