Ian Wright opens up on tragically losing brother and close friend in emotional scenes

Ian Wright held back tears as he discussed the devastating loss of his brother and a dear friend within weeks of each other. The Arsenal icon’s brother tragically passed away a couple of weeks after the death of former footballer Kevin Campbell, who was a close pal of Wright’s.

Campbell, who had spells at Arsenal, Everton, and Nottingham Forest, succumbed to multi-organ failure following a heart infection in June, after a month-long battle in hospital. On The Overlap, Wright shared the emotional turmoil he faced, saying: “It’s been a tough summer.

“Obviously my man Kevin, Kevin Campbell, and then a couple of weeks later I lose my brother,” he revealed. “But it’s been one of those situations where you just have to get on with it, man.”

Wright’s voice quivered as he continued: “It catches you every now and then.” He went on to describe his brother as a private individual and meet-ups between the pair were brief, making his passing all the harder to take.

“I’m driving along and I’m thinking of my brother. He was a really good cricketer, a really good footballer,” Wright reminisced. “He didn’t come up to the house as often as [I’d] like but that’s because he’s just a loner. And then all of a sudden you’re constantly trying to get in touch with him, come and do this, come and do that, and then bam, he’s gone. You know what I mean?

“It’s tough, man. Now I feel pretty much in control of it, but I know that at some stage later on it just catches you. But you just have to deal with it.

“It helps being among people,” he added. “Grieving is a process. You never know when it’s going to come and it’s not like it ever leaves you. It’s going to come at some stage. Even like now, I just don’t know what to say. I just miss them both.”

During their time together at Arsenal, Wright and Campbell became close, and they stayed friends for the rest of Campbell’s life. Wright joined Campbell at Highbury in 1991, arriving from from Crystal Palace. He went on to blast a record 185 goals for the club, which has only since been surpassed by Thierry Henry.

Campbell, meanwhile, spent a decade on Arsenal’s books, having started out in the club’s youth ranks. He was promoted to the first team in 1988 and scored 59 times in 213 matches before leaving for Nottingham Forest in 1995. He later played for Everton, West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City, and Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Campbell’s death left the football world in mourning with thousands of tributes being paid to the former striker. Following his passing, serious concerns were raised over the hospital care that he received after an inquest revealed a Level 5 patient safety incident – the most serious category – about aspects of his care whilst he was at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI).

Coroner Zak Golombek raised concerns about the care provided by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Speaking at Manchester Coroner’s Court, Mr Golombek stated: “He had been reported to have been fit and well until around January 2024, when he had a number of admissions to hospital before this final admission. He went on to declared a Level 5 incident related to a delay in aspects of Campbell’s care and diagnosis as well as concerns over the decision-making process concerning palliative care.

“I have also received notification from the trust that a medical cause of death can be offered and, therefore, I will consider evidence from the clinicians involved in Mr Campbell’s care as to the cause of his death. The provisional cause of death, as it stands, refers to Mr Campbell dying from multi-organ failure as a result of infective endocarditis.”

Mr Golombek added that the trust will be conducting internal investigations and that a final decision on the medical cause of death “will be made as part of the inquest process”.