Eni Aluko has accused Laura Woods of gaslighting her after the ITV and TNT Sports presenter said her latest comments are 'dragging women's punditry backwards'. The former England international doubled down on her view that male pundits, including Ian Wright, are blocking opportunities for women in football.
Aluko, 38, had faced criticism last April for claiming Wright needed to be aware of 'how much he's doing in the women's game'. She later apologised, but Wright did not accept her gesture. Over the weekend, she reiterated her stance, prompting Woods to criticise her on social media.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Tuesday, Aluko said she felt 'gaslit' by Woods' comments, recalling that Woods had previously praised her as a 'brilliant broadcaster and pundit'. However, she later backtracked slightly, saying she did not want to use the term 'gaslit' and respected Woods' opinion.
The row highlights ongoing tensions in football punditry over gender representation, with Aluko emphasising that her experience and caps should count towards her credibility as a pundit.
