Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell, better known as Sol Campbell
(born
Newham,
London,
18 September 1974),
is an English
footballer with
Arsenal and
England.
Campbell, a powerful central defender, was a prodigious schoolboy talent and
was part-educated at the
FA's School of Excellence, before joining the ranks at Arsenal's deadly
North London rivals
Tottenham Hotspur. He made his first team debut for Spurs in
December 1992, scoring a
goal after coming on as a
substitute for
Nick
Barmby, though he didn't appear again that season. He played up front and in
every defensive position over the course of the next two seasons before settling
as a central defender. As club captain
Gary
Mabbutt's appearances became more limited because of injury and age,
Campbell became Spurs' lynchpin defender.
He made his England debut against
Hungary in May 1996, coming on as
a substitute. Although he had only one cap by the time
Terry Venables selected his squad for
Euro 96, Campbell got in as defensive cover, and came on in England's famous
2-0 win over
Scotland for his second cap.
Over the next two years, Campbell became a strong and brave presence at the
heart of England's defence, largely displacing
Gareth Southgate in the race to partner
Tony Adams. The pairing were first choice as new England coach
Glenn
Hoddle shaped his squad for the
1998 World Cup in
France.
Campbell was involved in a highly controversial incident in England's second
round clash against old footballing foes
Argentina. The game was locked at 2-2 with fewer than ten minutes to go (and
with England down to ten men after
David
Beckham was sent off) when Campbell managed to head a corner into the
Argentinian net. He wheeled away to celebrate his first international goal,
which looked certain to put England into the quarter finals, but a push by
Alan
Shearer had caused the
referee to
blow for a foul. Campbell was still in the corner of the pitch with England
supporters as Argentina restarted the game and counter-attacked. England went
out on penalties but Campbell emerged a hero.
Campbell played in England's successful qualification campaign for
Euro 2000 and in all the three group games at the tournament, which England
exited after defeat by
Romania. His club career, however, was starting to evoke major concern among
Spurs supporters and interest within the media because he was entering the last
year of his
contract and was stalling on a new deal.
In the summer of
2001 Campbell's contract expired. Mindful of the
Bosman ruling, Tottenham offered him a contract which would have made him
the club's highest-ever paid player, but after months of negotiations, Campbell
stated his wish to leave the club in order to play at Europe's top level, the
Champions League. With several top
European clubs
courting him, he stunned football (and left Spurs fans raging) by joining
Arsenal. Ever since, he has been labelled
Judas by Spurs supporters, though Campbell always maintained that he
loved Tottenham, and that his decision was entirely professional.
In his first season at Arsenal (2001-02,
he won the
Premiership and
FA Cup. His partner at the back was Tony Adams, who would retire from
football at the end of that season, leaving Campbell as the senior defender for
both club and country.
Campbell scored his first England goal at the
2002 World Cup in the opening group game against
Sweden. England drew the game 1-1, but then beat the old enemy Argentina in
the next match (in which Campbell was outstanding) and ultimately progressed to
the quarter finals, where they lost to eventual winners
Brazil.
In 2003 Campbell
maintained his Arsenal and England place, but an injury he suffered towards the
end of the season curtailed the Gunners' title chances and he also missed their
successful retention of the FA Cup. He did, however, help his country qualify
for
Euro 2004.
After a successful domestic season for Campbell in 2004, when Arsenal
regained the Premiership title without losing a game, Campbell yet again had a
late goal disallowed as England fought to make progress in a major tournament.
Against hosts
Portugal in the quarter finals, the game was locked at 1-1 with a minute to
go when Campbell won a header in the opposition six-yard box to score what
seemed to be a dramatic, late winner for England. However, the referee,
Urs Meier,
once more noticed a push by an England team-mate (this time Campbell's defensive
partner
John Terry - in the team because of
Rio
Ferdinand's suspension from playing) and gave a free kick. The game ended
level after 120 minutes of football, and England failed to progress to the next
stage after a
penalty shootout. Meier received threats to his life afterwards.
Campbell continues to play for Arsenal, winning an FA Cup winners' medal in
2005, as well as
England, although his place in the international team has been less secure since
the emergence as a partnership of Terry and Ferdinand, which blossomed during
Campbell's period of absence with injury in
2005. That said, in
October 2005 he won his 66th cap and earned himself (jointly) a place in the top
20 most capped England players. If he plays an active part in the
2006 World Cup, as expected, he will become the first England player to
feature in the final stages of six separate tournaments.
As a single man, Campbell is often photographed on evenings out and has dated
some high-profile women in showbusiness, but he has also kept much of his
private life private. He has most recently been linked with
Dido, the singer who is also a devout Arsenal fan.
Campbell has a son, Joseph, from a previous relationship.
