Sol Campbell

Better than Terry and Ferdinand but somehow doesn’t get the credit he deserves because his prime fell the years before the two of them truly hit their stride.

Campbell was a monster and a complete CB. He had everything.

Good advert too lol

Josh · 14 January 2025 12:45

Lmaooo love this. The Scum are gonna absolutely hate it too

Mercenary · 14 January 2025 12:54

Even when we resigned him on loan - he was one of the stand out defensive players. Incredible fitness levels for his age then; and his performance against Porto in the 1st leg was insane.

Pires · 14 January 2025 13:15

One of the top CBs in the world in his prime (and you really had a few good one’s at the time).

It’s insane for me how overlooked he is nowadays when talking about the great PL CBs.

I also feel he’s a bit more overlooked in the UK than outside of it, maybe it’s just me.

A physical monster but always played in a very smart way. I hate it how overhyped Ferdinand is compared to him. He was almost a level beneath Sol during Sol’s prime. Got better in the late 20s, but prime vs prime it’s still Sol for me.

JakeyBoy · 14 January 2025 13:19

I will have mentioned this before, but probably years and year ago… but I met Sol Campbell in a Pizza Express in Stratford in 2006.

It was 11th February, my 16th birthday, and I’d just been to see Gilberto strike late on to secure a 1-1 draw at home against Bolton. I lived in East London so had a birthday meal in Stratford on the way home from the match. I was in my redcurrant Arsenal shirt and on the next table there was a lad on a date in a Man U shirt. At one point in the meal he got my attention and said, “is that your boy over there?”, gesturing over my shoulder.

I glanced, didnt see any of my mates in the restaurant, and returned a puzzled look. He prompted me to look again, and when I did I saw Sol Campbell sat there. He hadnt played because it was the game after pur loss to West Ham, when he had a first half nightmare, did a runner at half time, and disappeared of the face of the earth for a good 5-7 days. The fanbase hadn’t heard anything about where he was, and then there he was, sat in Pizza fucking Express.

After a good while trying to find my bollocks, I eventually went over (not while he was eating, I had some basic decorum) and explained it was my birthday and asked if I could please get a photo. He obliged, and also autographed a Pizza Express napkin, adding birthday wishes on it too.

Unfortunately, both the photo and napkin are now lost to time.

But fair play to him for being so nice to me, particularly given the context of him being totally fucking AWOL at the time

Mr_Nostalgia · 14 January 2025 13:20

Who he played for likely has something to do with that

SRCJJ · 14 January 2025 13:25

Yeah think the same happens with Adams. Never really hear his name mentioned in the way it should be it’s always Ferdinand, Terry, Stam, Vidic, VVD, Kompany but honestly Campbell and Adams belong in any discussion

BergkampsLoveChild · 14 January 2025 17:19

Brilliant advert.

Man was a beast.

That transfer took some fucking balls aswell, even more so as it was to us on a free, this will always hurt them

Truth_hurts · 14 January 2025 22:04

That advert is so disrespectful- love it!

World class defender.