by Lee Hurley

Ian Wright will return to the BBC seven years after walking out as he replaces Phil Neville as a pundit on Match of the Day.

The Arsenal legend will take over from the less enlightened Neville brother who has left to take up an assistant manager’s job in Spain. Neville will most likely be remembered for such punditry gems as saying he would ‘two-foot’ Tomas Rosicky in training if he did a look away pass.

Wright last appeared on the Beeb’s flagship football show in 2008 and he felt he was not being taken seriously and since then has appeared on ITV and BT Sport with small stints on the BBC.

After leaving MOTD seven years ago, Wrighty said “I feel like I am just there as a comedy jester to break the ice with Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen, who just do run-of-the-mill things. I can’t do that any more. People want something different.”

Speaking to the Sun, a BBC source said that they “loved him from afar ever since he left the show seven years ago. Unfortunately, he felt he was being used as a figure of fun, although that was certainly never our intention.

“Since then he has done a variety of projects but we always loved him from afar and that was proven when he was given the 606 job a couple of years back.

“We all feel he has done a great job there, as well as on ITV, and we love his passion, humour and forthright opinions.

“So both ourselves and Ian felt the time was right to bring him back to MOTD. All parties are delighted.”