Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright continues to prove that he is just as well a legend of the field when he was on it.
Over the years, the 61-year-old has been a huge proponent of women's football.
And last April he showed how much he gave with an incredible gesture for a player who had sustained a potential career in danger.
After Stoke City defender Kayleigh McDonald had suffered a torn ACL during a match against Burnley, she was forced to set up a GoFundMe page to raise money when the club refused to pay for an operation.
Stoke finally returns – largely thanks to Wright, it has been revealed.
De Telegraaf has revealed that he has paid a sports lawyer to argue for McDonald.
And when the club obtained financing for its rehabilitation at the end of last year, Wright began to pay it from his own pocket.
The defender has revealed that her rehabilitation costs around £ 1,700 a month.
McDonald has insisted that Wright deserves more recognition for his friendly gesture.
She told Telegraph Sport: “I would not be mentally in a great place if it was not for Ian Wright.
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“I would probably still wait for my operation if it wasn't for him.
“For him to do this for me, someone he didn't know, I think there should be more a spotlight on him.”
News about the incredible generosity of the Arsenal -legend comes after being criticized by former England Lioness Eni Aluko for “blocking” opportunities for women in the football broadcasts.
Speaking on Radio 4 Woman's Hour earlier this week, she said: “I worked with Ian for a long time and, you know, I think he is a brilliant broadcaster, but I think he knows how much he is doing in the women's game. I think he should be aware of that.
“The fact is that a limited amount of spaces is available.
“If we had a situation where there was an equal chance in the men's game for broadcasters and coaches in the women's game, it's a free for everyone.
“But that is not the case. I can't dominate the game for men in the way you used Ian as an example.”
When asked to clarify if she thought it was wrong that Wright was at the forefront of women's football reports, Aluko added: “I don't know about wrong, but I think we should be aware and that we should not ensure that women are not blocked to have a path in the women's game.
“It is still new, it is still growing. There is a finite amount of opportunities and I think men should be aware of that.
“Men must be aware that you know, you, a growing sport, are a growing sport for women, and we have not always had these opportunities, and so it is about the consciousness and support of other women through that path.”
Wright has continued to support women's football in recent years.
In 2023 he worked with Barclays to create the Ian Wright Coaching Fund – an initiative that has been drawn up to increase the number of female coaches at the basic level.
He made a donation of £ 15,000 and paid for 664 female coaches to follow their level one course.
And in 2022, after the semi -final victory of the European Championship in Sweden, he insisted that all girls should have the chance to play football at school.
Wright said: “What is happening in the final, if girls are not allowed to play football in their PE, just like the boys can, what do we do?
“We must ensure that they can play and get the chance to do this.”
The former Arsenal striker started a women's football podcast with Manchester City legend Steph Houghton last year and regularly plays the reporting about ITV about the Lionesses.