Ian Wright reveals big brother has died in 'tough summer' (2024)

Ian Wright choked up as he revealed his older brother died just weeks after the loss of close friend and former teammate Kevin Campbell.

He fought back tears speaking about about his 'tough summer', most recently losing one of his two older brothers.

Everton legend, and Wright's former strike partner, Campbell tragically died aged 54in June after a battle with illness.

Wright, 60, told The Overlappodcast: 'It's been a tough summer... My man Kevin Campbell and a couple of weeks later I lose my brother.

'It's been one of those situations where you just have to get on with it,' he said with a cracking voice. 'It catches you every now and then.'

He explained his late brother was a 'loner' who it was difficult to arrange to meet, making the death even more difficult to cope with.

'He didn't come up to the house as often as [I'd] like but that's because he's just a loner,' he said.

'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?'

Chatting to co-hosts Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane and Jill Scott, he said that spending time with others was helping him get through the tough period.

'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.'

Wright grew up with two older brothers, Maurice and Nicky. It is unclear who he was referring to in the recent clip.

The former England striker had already endured a difficult start to the summer with the death of his former strike partner Campbell in June.

He led tributes by sharing a series of himself and Campbell during their time together at Arsenal.

He went on to talk in more depth during an episode of his Wrighty's House podcast.

'He was the life and soul,' he said. 'He was an unbelievable human being in respects of what he gives to people. He gave so much kindness.

'He was like a little brother who was like an older brother, if that makes sense. Because he was so clued up - he was the life and soul but also the wisdom as well.'

The pair spent time as roommates when travelling for their club and Wright spoke of the cultural impact Campbell had on him, as well as the support he offered him during difficult spells playing through injuries and pain.

Wright joined Arsenal in the years after Kevin Campbell had broken through as a youngster.

After coming through the ranks in North London, Campbell went on to make more than 200 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners before joining Nottingham Forest in 1995.

Campbell netted 22 times as Forest won promotion back to the top flight in his final season at the City Ground before moving on to Everton via a brief spell in Turkey with Trabzonspor.

Almost single-handedly saving the club from relegation in his first season at Goodison Park, Campbell quickly became a fan favourite and remained a mainstay with the Toffees in the ensuing years.

Campbell hung up his boots in 2007 after short spells with West Brom and Cardiff City before going on to work in punditry.

His death came at the end of a month spend at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) on June 15.

At an inquest into his death, Zak Golombek, area coroner for Manchester, said Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the hospital, had declared a Level 5 patient safety incident - the most serious category - about aspects of his care.

He said the provisional cause of death given for Mr Campbell was multi-organ failure due to a heart infection.