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Iván Campo facts for kids

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Iván Campo
Ivan Campo.jpg
Campo in 1996
Personal information
Full name Iván Campo Ramos
Date of birth (1974-02-21) 21 February 1974 (age 51)
Place of birth San Sebastián, Spain
Height 1.85 m
Playing position Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Youth career
Logroñés
Alavés
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1995 Alavés 45 (2)
1995–1997 Valencia 25 (1)
1995–1996 Valladolid (loan) 24 (2)
1997–1998 Mallorca 33 (1)
1998–2003 Real Madrid 60 (1)
2002–2003 Bolton Wanderers (loan) 31 (2)
2003–2008 Bolton Wanderers 141 (11)
2008–2009 Ipswich Town 17 (1)
2009–2010 AEK Larnaca 8 (0)
Total 384 (21)
National team
1998–2000 Spain 4 (0)
2000–2006 Basque Country 2 (0)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Iván Campo Ramos, born on February 21, 1974, is a former professional football player from Spain. He mostly played as a central defender. Later in his career, he also played as a defensive midfielder.

He is well-known for playing with famous clubs like Real Madrid in Spain and Bolton Wanderers in England. Iván Campo also played for the Spanish national team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Playing Career: Clubs

Early Years in Spain

Iván Campo was born in San Sebastián, a city in the Basque Country, Spain. He began his football journey at Deportivo Alavés, a team in the third division.

After two and a half years, he joined Valencia CF. They immediately loaned him to Real Valladolid for the rest of the 1995–96 season. He helped Valladolid stay in La Liga, Spain's top football league.

Later, Campo went back to Valencia. But he soon left and joined RCD Mallorca, a team that had just been promoted. While playing for Mallorca, he teamed up strongly with Marcelino Elena. Together, they helped the team finish fifth in the 1997–98 season.

Playing for Real Madrid

In the summer of 1998, Campo signed with Real Madrid. He helped them win the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He played the entire final match against his former club, Valencia.

Sometimes, he found it hard to play his best at Real Madrid. This was because of pressure from fans and the media. This pressure sometimes caused him to feel very anxious.

Time with Bolton Wanderers

In August 2002, Campo was loaned to Bolton Wanderers in England for one year. After the 2002–03 season, people expected him to return to Spain. However, he surprised everyone by signing a permanent three-year deal with Bolton. He decided he liked living in Bolton more.

On August 19, 2006, at the start of a new season, Campo scored an amazing goal. He shot from far away, catching the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper off guard. His manager, Sam Allardyce, even said it might be the "goal of the season."

Campo fit in well with Bolton's style of play. However, he also received many yellow and red cards in the 2006–07 season. In May 2008, his manager, Gary Megson, did not offer him a new contract, so he left the team.

Before the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, Campo wrote a letter to Bolton fans. He said he was sad he couldn't say a proper goodbye. This letter was published on a website. He later played in a special match for his teammate Jussi Jääskeläinen.

Later Career Years

On August 11, 2008, Campo joined Ipswich Town in the Football League Championship. He scored his first goal against Barnsley in a 3–0 win. However, he only played in about a third of the league matches.

At 35 years old, he was released by manager Roy Keane at the end of the 2008–09 season. In December 2009, Campo joined Cypriot Second Division team AEK Larnaca FC. He retired from football in June 2010.

International Career

Iván Campo played four times for the Spanish national team. His first game was on March 25, 1998. It was a friendly match against Sweden, which Spain won 4–0.

He was chosen to play in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. However, the Spanish team did not make it past the group stage of the tournament.

Other Activities

Campo appeared in a Spanish TV advertisement for a fruit drink. In the ad, two men took off their shirts to show tattoos of Campo's head on their chests.

An Indie band from Preston, England, named themselves Ivan Campo. They were featured in a BBC News report when the player signed for Ipswich.

Honours and Achievements

Mallorca

Real Madrid

Bolton Wanderers

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Iván Campo para niños

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