Kevin Campbell obituary | Soccer

The footballer Kevin Campbell, who has died aged 54 after a brief sickness, gained a league title, the FA Cup, a League Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup over a four-year interval from 1990 till 1994 with Arsenal, the membership he had supported, and joined, as a boy.

As a striker he scored eight instances in 10 matches in the course of the second half of the Division One championship in 1991, and in the course of the victorious 1993–94 European Cup Winners’ Cup marketing campaign he contributed 4 vital targets throughout the knockout phases, together with one within the semi-final in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain.

After he left Arsenal in 1995 Campbell by no means encountered the identical stage of success, however grew to become a extremely regarded determine – and membership captain – at Everton, the place he spent six years between 1999 and 2005. He was additionally well-liked at every of the 4 different golf equipment he appeared for throughout his 19-year profession: at Nottingham Forest, the Turkish aspect Trabzonspor, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff Metropolis.

Campbell was ebullient, clever and personable; nevertheless, his reputation stemmed not simply from his private attributes but additionally from his wholehearted, direct strategy on the sphere. Speedy and muscular, 6ft 1in and 14 stone, he was a flexible ahead and a dedicated crew man.

Of Jamaican heritage, Campbell was born in Lambeth, south London, and grew up in Brixton. An Arsenal supporter as a youth, he had no cash to go to dwelling matches, so would wait exterior Highbury on match days till the North Financial institution gates had been opened earlier than the ultimate whistle and he may sneak in to look at the final a part of a recreation. He signed for the membership on schoolboy phrases below Terry Neill as supervisor, shortly garnering consideration with an abundance of targets.

At 18, after a profitable look and a hat-trick within the 1988 FA Youth Cup remaining, he was handed an expert contract by the membership’s new supervisor, George Graham, and his first crew debut got here quickly afterwards in opposition to Everton.

More often than not, nevertheless, he was taking part in within the reserves, and in 1989 he was despatched on mortgage to the Division 4 membership Leyton Orient to get some recreation time. Shortly proving his value, he scored 9 targets in 16 appearances, however below the foundations of the day needed to return after three months to his dwelling membership. There was an extra mortgage interval with Leicester that 12 months, and he was unable to make a full breakthrough into the Arsenal first crew till the 1990-91 season.

Most of Campbell’s 15 league appearances throughout that marketing campaign arrived within the later phases as Arsenal mounted a powerful problem for the title, and his burst of eight league targets between February and April was instrumental in securing the league championship by seven factors from Liverpool.

In 1993 he scored 4 instances in Arsenal’s run to a 2-1 victory in opposition to Sheffield Wednesday within the League Cup remaining, wherein he performed upfront with Ian Wright, a pairing that was repeated in each matches of that 12 months’s FA Cup remaining, additionally in opposition to Sheffield Wednesday – a 1-1 draw and a replay that was gained 2-1 after further time.

Within the subsequent European Cup Winners’ Cup marketing campaign of 1994, it was Campbell’s objective within the 1-0 semi-final second leg defeat of a powerful PSG crew that put them by to the ultimate in opposition to Parma, which they gained 1-0 in Copenhagen.

All these glories had been below the managership of Graham, who had nurtured Campbell fastidiously because the early days. When Graham departed in 1995 there was no such chemistry along with his successor, Bruce Rioch. “I used to be out of contract and was anticipating to remain,” stated Campbell. “However after one assembly with Bruce I knew I used to be off.”

Quickly afterwards he decamped to Nottingham Forest, the place, though his new crew completed ninth within the Premier League in his first 12 months, they had been relegated the next 1996-97 season. He helped them bounce straight again up with 23 targets, however in a shock transfer was then bought in opposition to his needs to Trabzonspor within the Turkish league for £2.5m.

Campbell spent simply seven months in Turkey earlier than returning to the Premier League in early 1999 on mortgage to Everton. At Goodison Park he grew to become an instantaneous hero, virtually singlehandedly saving the crew from relegation on the finish of the 1998-99 season with 9 targets in his first eight begins. By the center of 2001 he had signed a brand new long-term deal and had turn out to be membership captain.

When that contract got here to an finish in 2005, he moved to West Bromwich Albion on a free switch, once more participating in a dramatic escape from Premier League relegation because the Baggies defied the chances with a late run below Bryan Robson as supervisor to keep away from the drop. Eighteen months later he joined Cardiff Metropolis within the Championship earlier than retiring on the age of 37 in 2007.

By the tip of his profession Campbell had performed 521 instances for his varied golf equipment, with a tally of 149 targets. Often on the perimeter of the England squad, he by no means fairly made the nationwide aspect however did symbolize his nation at Below-21 and B-team ranges.

After his taking part in days, he was in demand as a vigorous soccer commentator on TV and radio. He additionally co-owned a safety firm supplying private safety to rich purchasers and ran his personal small document label, 2 Wikid.

He’s survived by his sons, Tyrese and Kyle.