IAN WRIGHT has been having therapy to control the temper which has brought him numerous bookings and dismissals throughout his 12-year football career.

During the season just ended Wright was involved in unpleasant incidents with Peter Schmeichel, the Manchester United goalkeeper, but. it was his sending-off after kicking out at Nottingham Forest's Nikola Jerkan shortly before Christmas which persuaded him that he needed help.

"I'm so embarrassed by it now, he admitted. "As much as people say Jerkan rolled over the fact is that it was a stupid act of petulance by me. I cost the team the game. I didn't need to do it. I was in a good vein of scoring, but after that the whole season went sour for me:

Wright is the third Arsenal player to seek counselling. Tony Adams and Paul Merson have each bad help combatting their alcoholism. Dennis Bergkamp, meanwhile, is merely afraid of flying.

The Arsenal striker, who leave for Poland today with the rest of Glenn Hoddle's England squad, says that counselling has made him a calmer person on the pitch.

"I see a counsellor," he admitted. "People have sorted me out in dealing with the anger. I don't want to finish up with people disliking me. I've lived on the edge of a lot of emotions. People either love me or hate me, I accept that, but I have to try and make myself happy."

Arsenal finished the season with more bookings and sendings-off than any other Premiership team.