Today, we shed light on the legendary Sol Campbell. Him leaving Tottenham for the red side of north London naturally made him a fan favourite before even setting foot in Highbury. So fasten your seatbelts as we go back in time to once again observe Campbell’s glorious journey in the Arsenal world.
Little Sol Campbell was the youngest of twelve children. His father was a railway worker and his mother a factory worker. Campbell grew up in a rough neighborhood to a family with little money. You might think of this as unfortunate and it is, but thankfully, and especially for Arsenal fans, this misfortune gave birth to a footballer who went on to become an Arsenal legend.
When asked about his childhood, the English centre-back said: “I became a recluse within my own house. I became insular because at home there was no space to grow or to evolve, everything was tight and there was no room to breathe. People don’t realise how that affects you as a kid. I wasn’t allowed to speak, so my expression was football.”
Campbell started his career at West Ham but his spell was a short one. He decided leaving the club was the best option after a coach racially abused him. He then joined Tottenham but I will not get into that as this part of his career, because it does not really interest me. Fast forward to 2001: Campbell’s contract expired and his club lined up a fantastic offer that would make him their highest paid player ever but the England international rejected the bid, stating his desires of wanting to join a team in the UEFA Champions League. Several top European clubs were interested in signing him but Campbell decided to sign for Spurs’ nemesis, Arsenal.
Labeled “Judas” by Tottenham fans but quickly loved by Gooners, Campbell’s route to success was immediate: He won both the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season as a Gunner, proving that he made the right choice when he left Tottenham.
Perhaps Campbell’s greatest achievement at Arsenal and the reason he’s so highly rated is the feat that only him and his other teammates accomplished in 2003/04: winning a Premier League title without losing a single match. Campbell was the rock at the heart of the defence of the “Invincibles” and played a major role in helping Arsenal acquire the only golden Premier League trophy in existence.
The Englishman will also be remembered for being Arsenal’s only goalscorer in the 2-1 Champions League final defeat against Barcelona. Campbell would leave Arsenal later that summer in order to seek what he called “a fresh challenge”.
Three years later, after captaining Portsmouth and surprisingly moving to League two side Notts County, Campbell went back where he belonged, re-signing with Arsenal and wearing the Red and White shirt for a second time. The player featured frequently for Arsenal towards the end of the season due to injuries to both Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas.
Back in the present, and precisely 2015, Sol Campbell is still looking for “fresh challenges” and has confirmed his intention of running for the Conservative Party nomination for Mayor of London in the 2016 election.
