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Football

06th Oct 2018

WATCH: Jeremy Corbyn shares video of emotional Ian Wright talking about his first male role model

JOE

We all need male role models

For some, it could be a close family member – your dad, brother or uncle. For others, it might be a football coach or a sports star.

For Ian Wright, it was Mr. Pigden, a teacher who helped put the former Arsenal and England striker on the path to realising his dreams.

Jeremy Corbyn shared a video of Wright talking emotionally about the impact Mr Pigden had on his life to celebrate International Teachers Day.

“I wanted to share this clip of Ian Wright talking about an inspiring teacher,” wrote the Labour leader. “It’s incredibly moving – you’ll want to watch it until the end.”

In the clip, which was first aired as part of an ITV4 documentary titled ‘Nothing to Something’, Wright speaks about the values Mr Pigden taught him, and how devastated he was when he learned of his mentor’s death.

He also details the impact Mr Pigden had on his football career. “Once he realised I could play football he started to teach me how to play,” says Wright.

“(He taught me) how you have to pass to other people, and why you have to pass to other people. And why you have to communicate nicely and why you have to give encouragement.

“He was somebody who’d sit me down and talk to him, and explain to me how to communicate.”

As Jeremy Corbyn says, it’s definitely worth watching until the end.