Only one second will be sufficient to depart the lasting reminiscence of a Premier League footballer, no matter all else achieved within the recreation. For Sol Campbell, one of many most interesting centre-backs of the Premier League period, it got here in July 2001.
The assembled press had gathered for what was anticipated to be the disclosing of Richard Wright at Arsenal, a proficient goalkeeper introduced in to supply competitors and canopy for the veteran David Seaman.
As a substitute, what adopted was probably the most stunning switch of the Premier League period. In walked Campbell, the membership captain of the Gunners’ fiercest rivals, and right away the historical past of the north London divide was modified forevermore.
Earlier than that immortal second got here Campbell’s rise from humble beginnings. Born in Plaistow, London, to Jamaican mother and father, soccer grew to become a type of expression for Campbell in childhood. He sought id by sport, in a crowded family during which he counted eight brothers because the youngest of a dozen youngsters.
He joined the academy system at Tottenham as a teen, following a brief spell at West Ham. Such was his prodigious expertise, he was inducted into the excellence programme at Lilleshall alongside a gaggle of probably the most gifted prospects in English soccer.
Campbell’s debut for Spurs got here throughout the Premier League’s inaugural season, during which he scored throughout a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea. It was his sole look of the marketing campaign nevertheless, earlier than breaking into the facet regularly the next season.
A uncooked mix of athleticism, energy and positional sense, it quickly grew to become obvious that Spurs had a high expertise of their ranks. Regardless of the north Londoners’ combined fortunes within the Premier League, Campbell continued to develop in stature and was named as membership captain within the late nineties.
Having impressed for England on the 1998 World Cup, Campbell captained Spurs to League Cup success throughout the 1998–99 season, changing into the primary black captain to elevate a significant trophy at Wembley. Slightly than a springboard to future success nevertheless, Spurs didn’t construct and after a succession of mid-table finishes Campbell’s future started to dominate the headlines.
Approaching the top of his deal, there have been affords on the desk from Europe’s elite. Barcelona, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich all tabled profitable proposals, however the centre-back decided that shocked Spurs.
Within the shadows, Arsenal had bought the Spurs stalwart a dream. After three consecutive runners-up finishes to Manchester United, Campbell had been recognized as an announcement signing. A pure chief and one of many Premier League’s finest defenders, he was an arrival of character and high quality that would take the Gunners up a degree.
Tottenham had been left with nothing however recollections and the bitter sting of betrayal. Their captain, a colossal presence within the facet, had defected for his or her fiercest rivals.
Campbell’s first return to Spurs got here in November and White Hart Lane was a white-hot cauldron of hate. Judas banners crammed the bottom, whereas the barbs spat venomously from the stands had been fairly extra expletive-filled and derogatory.
“Football-wise, the crowd got me wired,” Campbell recalled to FourFourTwo. “I don’t suppose many within the recreation have performed in a single with that sort of environment, no probability. I felt on a distinct degree – I used to be alive, it was an unbelievable form of feeling.
“But on an emotional level, it was disgusting. Yes, I knew how people would react but that level was just…there were biblical kinds of flags contradicting each other… there were drapes everywhere… all those balloons. And the faces! It was like people wanted to kill me with their expressions.”
Such was the extent of the remedy from the livid followers, former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger later admitted he would have re-considered signing Campbell with the good thing about hindsight.
“I knew that it would cause heated debates in London, but I was truly convinced by the player,” Wenger advised 11 Freunde.
“I assumed he was able to dealing with the adversity. For me, it was simple as a result of everyphysique was conscious that I had signed a fantastic participant. However for him, it was extra complicated. The situation was actually nerve-racking for Sol and he advised me afterwards how extreme it grew to become.
“He couldn’t go to certain locations for dinner or stroll freely in London due to the anger of the Tottenham followers. In hindsight, I’m undecided if I’d signal him once more bearing in thoughts the difficulties he confronted.”
If Campbell confronted challenges away from the pitch, he confirmed no indicators of wrestle on it. His first season noticed Arsenal win a home double, with the controversial signing excellent alongside Martin Keown at centre-back.
211 video games
12 targets
2 @PremierLeague titles
@SolManOfficial pic.twitter.com/uDFscB0HGU
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 18, 2019
211 video games 
12 targets
3 FA Cups
And 1 Double
Tony Adams’s retirement on the finish of that marketing campaign noticed Campbell step in as a tailored alternative for the membership captain, an authoritative and athletic successor as Arsenal’s defensive rock.
An FA Cup adopted in his second season, earlier than a marketing campaign during which the Gunners did the unthinkable. Wenger’s facet accomplished a 38-game season with out defeat to be topped champions, guaranteeing footballing immortality as Premier League Invincibles.
Campbell was the hulking coronary heart of the champion’s defence. Monstrous within the air and deceptively fast throughout the bottom, his partnership with Kolo Toure was the centre-piece of a superb backline that introduced one of the best from each other.
That title was clinched with a draw at White Hart Lane, the final word insult to the Spurs supporters who as soon as cherished Campbell. Within the colors of the membership’s fiercest foe, he celebrated as a champion on the identical pitch he used to take to as Spurs captain.
Campbell added one other FA Cup to his growing assortment, earlier than scoring as Arsenal missed out on European success with defeat within the 2006 Champions League ultimate. For all of the controversy surrounding his cross-capital transfer, the continued silverware was candy justification.
“I used to be assured in my very own capability and usually had gamers round me in my time with Arsenal who believed we might win any battle in opposition to a striker, nevertheless good he may need been,” Campbell mentioned, as per Planet Soccer.
“We had so many leaders in our workforce. I see myself as a pacesetter, Patrick Vieira was, Dennis Bergkamp, Lauren, Martin Keown, Robert Pires, Ray Parlour…you may carry on going.
“You can be elegant, but you also need to be tough. Get your head in where it hurts, stick the odd tackle in where it is needed and then let your ability come out.”
Campbell made 197 appearances throughout 5 seasons with the Gunners, the place he received two league titles and the FA Cup on three events. He signed for Portsmouth on a free switch in 2006, the place he captained the South Coast membership to their first main trophy since 1950 with a fourth FA Cup of his membership profession.
A weird one-game spell with fourth-tier Notts Nation was adopted by a quick return to Arsenal, earlier than his membership profession ultimately concluded with a season at Newcastle that resulted in simply eight appearances.
At worldwide degree, Campbell was a fulcrum of the England facet. He received 73 caps throughout a profession with the Three Lions that spanned over a decade, no imply feat throughout an period during which Tony Adams, Gareth Southgate, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ledley King and Jamie Carragher all counted amongst his opponents for a spot within the facet.
Twice he suffered main event agony with ‘winners’ disallowed earlier than eventual penalty shootout exits to Argentina (World Cup ’98) and Portugal (Euro 2004). It was the tremendous margins which contributed to the failure of England’s Golden Era to make an impression on a significant finals.
Simply two centre-backs have ever made extra Premier League appearances than Campbell, who holds the divisional file for the longest unbeaten run by a participant, going 56 matches with out defeat between November 2002 and October 2004.
Campbell’s switch throughout north London stays unforgettable and strengthened the backbone of an Arsenal facet who grew to become arguably the Premier League’s biggest. A ferocious presence at centre-back, he severed ties at Tottenham to change into an Arsenal icon.
Learn – Midfield Generals: Patrick Vieira – A Gunners nice
Learn Additionally – Iconic Duos: Campbell and Toure, Arsenal’s immovable Turbo Trains
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The put up Defensive Rocks: Sol Campbell – The immovable Invincible first appeared on The Soccer Devoted. Supply – thefootballfaithful.com