Ian Wright has a heartfelt reunion with his son Bradley live on air after not seeing him for 18 months.
After being apart for over a year, Ian Wright reunited with his son, Bradley Wright-Phillips, in a touching moment during ITV’s World Cup coverage in Brooklyn, New York. Both are working as analysts for ITV at this summer’s tournament across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Before Switzerland’s 1-1 draw against Qatar on Saturday, the two shared a warm hug in the beautiful ITV studio. As the video shows, Ian walked over to Bradley—one of the top scorers in Major League Soccer—and gave him a big hug.
“Look at you, son. I love you, bro,” said Ian, the former Arsenal and England star. Bradley replied, “I haven’t seen you in a year and a half, and this is where we meet—it’s not bad at all.”
A little later, Ian praised his son: “I’m so happy for him and proud to be here. Seeing how far he’s come after everything that happened to him in England is amazing. Hearing him speak so well just brings me joy.”
Bradley, who scored 126 goals in 240 games for the New York Red Bulls, shared memories of his early days in MLS and what it means to be in Brooklyn. “I remember the first time I flew here when I was 14. We came to Brooklyn, and I picked up a MetroStars shirt—that’s now the New York Red Bulls. It was 1999, and my number was 99.”
ITV will broadcast 51 of the 104 matches this World Cup, including two England group games. Mark Pougatch, ITV’s chief sports presenter since 2015, will host both England group matches. Laura Woods, TNT Sports’ lead and an England women’s team presenter for ITV, also joined, with her first game being Australia’s 2-0 win over Turkey on Sunday.
Joining the team for the first time is Semra Hunter, known for her Spanish football coverage. There will also be a special co-host, Adam Richman from Man vs Food, who will lead “culturally focused” segments during the World Cup.
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