But that happens in life, he says. [45], "Sol had become one of our main players, and we now had an absolute physical presence and stability at the back. People can say whatever they want, but he ended up signing for the team who had offered him the least (compared to Barcelona and Inter). Someone I respect as well, because he was very straight. It doesnt even make any sense now, move on. He was named as captain for the 200708 season by manager Harry Redknapp, and signed a new two-year contract with the club. [71] Campbell said that County, who had recently been the subject of a takeover by a Middle Eastern consortium, were the best club for "where I am at the moment in my life", and that the recent appointment of ex-England manager Sven-Gran Eriksson as director of football played a "big role" in his decision. There was vague talk about putting an offer in writing and arranging a follow-up. WebSol Campbell was born on 18 September, 1974 in Plaistow, London, United Kingdom. Id been dealing with everything. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. I told them: This Sol Campbell fellow, orchestrated by his agent Sky Andrew he is not staying with us. [17] Campbell continued to progress in his performances, but Spurs struggled to mid-table league finishes in the 199596 and 199697 seasons. [30] Several top continental clubs expressed interest in signing him, but he joined Arsenal Tottenham's biggest rivals on a free transfer. A great team, manager the set-up is geared up to win. As players, if he makes your team better, thats all youre bothered about. Surely fans should be critical if a player breaks his contract, not honours it? Their delegation did meet Andrew in Catalonia. Nobody knew for certain what it was all about. Sols only human. There are plenty out there who would not mourn this in the slightest. [99][100][101][105] Due to his versatility and range of skills, as well as his ability to carry the ball out of defence and get forward, he was also capable of playing as a right back on occasion. The more I spoke to him, the more I respected him and his ambitions. In doing so, he became only the second player after Ryan Giggs to play in the first 19 seasons of the Premier League. His teammate Robert Pires commented that Campbell was facing a "big worry" in relation to his private life,[56] and Campbell did not make any contact with the club for several days. [79] On 3 October, he made his Premier League debut for the club as a 38th-minute substitute for Fabricio Coloccini in a 21 defeat to Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium. Regarded as one of the best English centre backs of his generation, Campbell was a strong, athletic and imposing defender, with a good positional sense, and was also a strong tackler. [118] In June 2020, the season was ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England. A stable environment as well. [116] On 18 January 2020, Southend won their second game under Campbell with a 21 victory away at Accrington Stanley, the club's first league win since September 2019. [18] Francis appointed Campbell as club captain, taking over the role from the out of favour David Howells. Looking back, he is someone whom I admire. He insisted that, if we were going to meet, it had to be very, very discreet. Although he had only one cap by the time Terry Venables selected his squad for UEFA Euro 1996, Campbell made the squad as defensive cover. [131], Campbell had homes in London and at Hallington Hall at Hallington in Northumberland. Arsenal were in the Champions League for a fourth season running. Looking back, Spurs felt strung along. David Pleat and George Graham were really old-fashioned football people and couldnt get their heads around the Bosman ruling, Sugar tells The Athletic. Former England international Sol Campbell has said the abuse he got from fans in his playing days was "sick". I want to be here, and Im here now. I saw Sol in the dressing-room and said, What are you lying about? [34][35], "[Arsenal vice-chairman] David Dein made me feel protected. [43] The club appealed the suspension but were unsuccessful, and he was forced to miss the cup final as Arsenal defeated Southampton to retain the trophy, though they ended the league campaign in second place. [61] Campbell also holds the distinction, alongside Teddy Sheringham, Steve McManaman, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, as one of six Englishmen to have scored in a Champions League final. That first late-night meeting, with the Arsenal manager in tow, had been an opportunity for Dein and Wenger to sell their vision to the potential new recruit, if largely in hope rather than expectation, given the interest that had been expressed from abroad in his signature. I could see what Sky Andrew and Sol Campbell were up to. Respectfully, I tell him, I beg to differ. Sols plan is to see his contract out., If he had signed a new contract and then said I want to leave a year later Sol didnt want to be a hypocrite, says Andrew. Over a protracted period of time, I felt the chemistry between us was positive. With the benefit of hindsight, he would have urged his manager and director of football to take the radical step of dropping Campbell to the reserves, thereby potentially damaging the first-teams prospects but, more significantly, jeopardising the players England place. [69], "I enjoyed my spell at Portsmouth; it was like going back to a different time. As you can imagine, it was incredibly sensitive for him to meet somebody from Arsenal. [24] During this time, he was falsely accused of breaking a stewards arm during a scuffle in a game at Derby County, and refused Tottenham's lawyer's advice to have the case Bound over (meaning he would not be convicted but would effectively have admitted some level of wrongdoing), and was subsequently told by the club to field his own legal defence for the case. According to the player, he was then informed in writing by the clubs company secretary that he should make his own legal arrangements. No ones perfect., The thing is, without that confidence, Campbell might never have made it to the first rung of the coaching ladder. Shane Callaghan. plus all the related posts. [53][54] In Arsenal's 32 home loss to West Ham United on 1 February, Campbell was largely responsible for West Ham's first two goals before being substituted at half-time at his own request. After injuries to Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson, along with Jamie Carragher retiring from international football, Campbell was recalled to the national team. I have been at Spurs for 10 years and my commitment to the club during that time is there for all to see. Kevin Campbell (baseball) (born 1964), American baseball player Kevin Campbell (footballer) (born 1970), English football player Kevin Campbell The Spurs academy graduate turned his back on the club to join North London rivals Arsenal on a free transfer back in 2001. One is Campbells insistence that Southend will continue to play from the back, despite coming unstuck against Oxford when a calamitous attempt to pass out of defence saw them concede after 52 seconds. The injury ruled him out of the run-in and, for all the hierarchys stated aspirations to sign him up to new terms, not to mention his own apparent willingness to stay, he would never again wear the Spurs shirt. I tried to lighten the mood a bit by saying, As you know, Sol came from Spurs. [120], After his retirement from football, Campbell became increasingly vocal about British politics. Try a week on us. The rumour mill placed Campbell at the Nou Camp that night, enjoying his future employers hospitality. If a player honours his contract, he should be applauded. If Manchester United had paid 18 million for him (in 2000), theyd still have to pay wages. Yet the reality is both Sugar and his successors, the acting chairman Daniel Levy and executive vice-chairman David Buchler, all yearned to extend their captains stay at White Hart Lane. Campbell offered a different take, suggesting he left afterwards far from reassured over the clubs ambitions and claiming Hoddles body language was as if he couldnt be bothered. I hoped that I wasnt literally being led up the garden path!. WebView the player profile of Forward Kevin Campbell, including statistics and photos, on the official website of the Premier League. Look, theres an element of people in certain quarters seeing him going for free and not liking that. Hed had a glittering career at Spurs and was worshipped there. And that's it, you're all set. Wherever he goes, I wish him luck. Campbell had always kept his cards close to his chest, even in the dressing room at Spurs, so no one knew precisely where he would end. Asked on talkSPORT today whether hed be interested, Campbell said: I dont know. Just after the half-hour mark, Ray Parlour wriggled free and Campbell, anxious to check the midfielders scuttle down the flank, barged him off the ball. Nothing. Hes sticking a win bonus on your wages every month if hes any good, so you soon get accepted into a place. But, while foreign clubs could sign pre-contract agreements from January, domestic suitors were obliged to wait until the current deal had run down. How can we?. He returns the question. He comes with saving Macclesfield on his CV, which will give many Blues fans hope he can repeat that feat. Perhaps the timing of that investment turned takeover ultimately confused the issue, leaving the player with a new set of owners to gauge. Inter had finished fifth in Serie A and were about to lose Laurent Blanc to Manchester United. The manager recalls making an effort to convince him to prolong his time at the club, only to end up feeling Campbell had been overly influenced by his agent. As the players fell, Parlour landed on Campbells right ankle, twisting the joint back into spasm. No ones perfect., Sol Campbell: Trouble is people got the wrong end of the stick about me. Inter were a decent team, but not in the Champions League. Because you dont (want to) play for me, youre not playing at all. No hes come from Tottenham (Photo: Getty), Dein had already telephoned Levy at Tottenham, as a courtesy, earlier in the day. [31][33] Years later, the anger from Spurs supporters remained. [26] The club's lack of progress in the league, his poor relationship with recent managers and the club's lack of support during the assault case left Campbell feeling disillusioned with Spurs. backing a winding-up petition against the club. Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Ashley Cole, Robin van Persie, Adebayor, Rio Ferdinand, Alan Smith, Paul Ince, Frank Lampard, Carlos Tevez will all have at least one club that would class them as a Judas, and all were pretty bad. I wasn't allowed to speak, so my expression was football. Spurs fans still revel in his every setback, naturally, but even journalistic colleagues warned he could be spiky company. Yes, I have faults. I like players who hate losing. [127] In the list of four candidates chosen in July 2015, Campbell was not shortlisted. That summer, a player once valued at 20 million and considered the best in the division, a club stalwart who had progressed through the ranks, carried the team at times and captained them to victory in a Wembley cup final, would walk away for nothing. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [133], In 2009, Campbell launched his charity "Kids go live" which allows inner city children to see a variety of live sporting events such as Wimbledon, the Olympic Games and rugby internationals.[134]. At the time Southend were second from bottom in League One, 16 points from safety. He was a Bosman (free agent) and Englands centre-half at the time, probably the best defender in the Premier League. [60] However, ten-man Arsenal went on to lose 21, although Campbell was at least involved in the best defensive run of any team in the history of the competition, with opponents failing to score against Arsenal in ten consecutive matches and a total of 995 minutes. The threat of a charge from the FA for bringing the game into disrepute lingered into the following season. Campbell was born in Plaistow, London, to Jamaican parents Sewell and Wihelmina. Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell was born on 18 September 1974 and is an English professional football manager and former player who was most In 2001, he joined Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal on a free transfer, and as a result has remained a deeply unpopular figure amongst Spurs supporters. "When I put on the England shirt, I had a collection of thoughts. I needed to be in that type of environment. Or, in effect, until his employers accepted they would not be able to retain the players services. Andrew Vaughan - CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images, How England Caused Germanys 2014 World Cup Win, https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AAUvwnh2dj4adpLKjpkVHNyIhe_Ao5FOuSlZirlnc9GR=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj, Jenas issues 3-word response to question of Kevin de Bruyne joining Tottenham. Campbell, for the most part, toed the party line when questioned by the media on his future, though what may have been diplomatic pledges of fidelity would feel incendiary in the years ahead. His latest Arsenal team, a group who would achieve an unbeaten league season a few years later, was taking shape. The League One side have been without a permanent boss following the resignation of Kevin Bond six weeks ago, with the Shrimpers currently eight points from safety in 22nd place in the league table. Kevin Joseph Campbell (born 4 February 1970) is an English former professional footballer, sports television pundit and co-commentator. After a long period out with viruses, Campbell returned to bench duty in January, making his first appearance in two months as a substitute in Newcastle's 20 win over Birmingham City on 15 February. WebThe Imprint Interview: Kevin Campbell Part I and The Imprint Interview: Kevin Campbell Part II. [14] Despite this start to his career, he was not picked by manager Terry Venables again throughout the remainder of the 199293 season. [15] At the end of the season, he signed a four-year contract with the club. England defender Sol Campbell's brother has been jailed for 12 months for attacking a student who allegedly suggested the player "might be gay". The advantage was taken by Arsenal. He said theyd had a lot of offers which, of course, was no surprise. Yes, manager Wenger and vice-chairman David Dein, the transfer fixer and their de facto director of football, had discussed the possibility of securing one of Englands best defenders under the Bosman ruling as they contemplated life after Tony Adams and the regeneration of their team. The newspapers have been carrying small stories of a decision-day looming over Campbells future for a few days, aware that his deal at Spurs had expired at the end of June. At that time, Barcelona were not at the top of their game. There are people who didnt like both. Rohan Ricketts and William Gallas would go from Arsenal to Spurs in the years after Campbells defection. WebKevin Campbell may refer to: . [114] Campbell watched his new side lose 71 to Doncaster Rovers[115] before taking charge for his first game a 31 home defeat to Ipswich Town. Im not disrespecting anyone. Something went wrong, please try again later. Campbells team-mates also had an inkling his time at Spurs was winding down, for all that they had no real idea where he might end up. He doesnt want to sit down and talk, never mind make demands. But not the ones who sent me and Sol racist messages, that kind of thing. A Call for Radical Change in Child Protection Practice: Unleashing the Restorative Power of Relationship by Authentically Engaging the Extended Family, Community, and Tribe Other honours in the game include being in the PFA Team of the Year three times, in 1999, 2003 and 2004. Alan Sugar and I got on very well and, subsequently, I had a good relationship with Levy. Im hardcore. Sky Sports Clare Tomlinson, in a post-match interview in the new year when Spurs were in the midst of a run of six clean sheets in seven matches in all competitions, asked outright, What about your situation, Sol? Sometimes you get a team that has almost forgotten how to win, he says. [19] He had a strained relationship with short-lived manager Christian Gross during the 199798 season as Spurs again struggled. Campbell, 45, was in the stands as the Shrimpers fell to their heaviest ever home defeat at the hands of Doncaster. Anyway, I thought we were waiting for our own version of Midnight Express as we walked around. As it turned out, Campbells Porsche then failed to start and he had to return to the Hoddle home while he waited for a roadside recovery firm to come to his aid. Come to us, he said, and you will be part of our family. [45], Campbell missed the start of the 200405 season with a knee injury, and so missed the 2004 FA Community Shield victory over Manchester United. I was asking myself why hed choose Arsenal when you know how much its going to affect your personal life. It had been obvious when he didnt turn up for pre-season that he wasnt going to be with us anymore, but none of us knew he was going across the road to Arsenal. Barcelona offered the biggest deal, says Andrew. I think he found football a little bit grey.. That is what I would have done once Id sussed out what he was up to stuck him in the reserves, he adds. Spurs were no different. Who knows?. Youd get put inside or youd get a criminal record. During the 1998 World Cup, Campbell was involved in a highly controversial incident in England's second round clash against Argentina. Sol hadnt spoken to anybody (other than Spurs) or attended any meetings before then. Im just saying, personally, it would have been very difficult for me to go and play for Tottenham.. We were approached by every top club in world football, says Andrew. Last updated on 22 October 201922 October 2019.From the section Southend. Nevertheless, the smattering of reporters dispatched to London Colney Wenger remembers there only being only two or three, though video footage of the day rather disproves that are anticipating the introduction of Richard Wright, a recent 6 million purchase from Ipswich Town to act as understudy to England first-choice goalkeeper David Seaman. One of the journalists present recalls being mildly surprised at the sight of a beige-brown screen that had been erected at the back of the room. As a player, I would go into detail, watch who I was playing against. Maybe other people knew Glenn (Hoddle) and the management but I wasnt aware. They met at the West Lodge Park hotel in the north London suburb of Hadley Wood, chatting for hours over coffee, but Mabbutt, too, departed resigned to the fact his fellow defender saw his future elsewhere.