Former England striker Eni Aluko has expressed concerns that prominent male broadcasters, such as Ian Wright, may unintentionally block female pundits from securing opportunities in the rapidly growing women’s football broadcasting space and speaks on the importance of having equal opportunities available within the football broadcasting industry.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Eni Aluko highlighted the limited number of roles available for women in the industry, suggesting that men who dominate the field need to be more aware of their influence.

Aluko, 38, acknowledged Wright’s advocacy for the women’s game, recognising his significant contributions to coverage of the Lionesses. However, she pointed out the reality that there are a limited  number of positions within broadcasting, especially in a sport that is still developing in terms of media coverage and commercial value. Aluko said,

“I’ve worked with Ian for a long time, and I think he’s a brilliant broadcaster. But I think he’s aware of just how much he works in the women’s game. The fact of the matter is, there is a limited amount of spaces available. It’s important to realise that women need opportunities to work in the women’s game.”

Aluko emphasised that the situation would be different if there were equal opportunities in the men’s game for broadcasters and coaches.

“If we had a situation where there was an equal opportunity in the men’s game for broadcasters and coaches as there is in the women’s game, it’s a free-for-all. But that’s not the case. I can’t dominate the men’s game in the way that, you know, you used Ian as an example.”

When asked whether it was wrong for Wright to cover women’s football, Aluko made it clear that she did not feel it was inherently wrong. However, she stated that the gender imbalance in the industry requires a greater level of consciousness to ensure that women aren’t unintentionally prevented from having a pathway into broadcasting.

Aluko’s concerns are rooted in her own experiences within the industry. Despite being a seasoned broadcaster with 11 years of experience, she has seen her career take a hit due to her ongoing civil legal case against former footballer Joey Barton. The case, which involves a libel claim over defamatory social media posts, has had a significant impact on her professional life, regardless of the eventual outcome.

Aluko revealed,

“I’ve been doing broadcasting for 11 years. I’m not new to it. And in the last 18 months, I’ve done the least TV I’ve ever done,”

“That’s just a fact. People can draw their own conclusions from that. There is still a limited amount of opportunities for women, both in the men’s and women’s game, and we’re competing for just two or three seats, including the presenters.”

Aluko also spoke about the abuse she has received from some members of the public, particularly following Barton’s online posts in January 2024. These posts were later ruled defamatory by a judge, with Barton claiming that Aluko’s father was financially corrupt and that her private education made her a “hypocrite”. He also accused her of using the “race card”. The abuse, which Aluko described as “a wave of toxicity”, has deeply affected her personal life, leading her to take extreme precautions, such as disguising herself when leaving her home.

“It’s been very hard. There’s 45 tweets that Joey Barton has tweeted about me, and what that does is it impacts you in real life. It feels like you’re in a fishbowl. I don’t feel like I can just go out and do what I do.”

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