Sol Campbell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sol Campbell

Campbell in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell
Date of birth	(1974-09-18) 18 September 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth	Plaistow, London, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
1988–1989	West Ham United
1989–1992	Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–2001	Tottenham Hotspur	255	(10)
2001–2006	Arsenal	135	(8)
2006–2009	Portsmouth	95	(2)
2009	Notts County	1	(0)
2010	Arsenal	11	(0)
2010–2011	Newcastle United	7	(0)
Total		504	(20)
International career
	England U15
	England U16
	England U18
1994–1996	England U21	11	(2)
1994–2006	England B	2	(0)
1996–2007	England	73	(1)
Managerial career
2018–2019	Macclesfield Town
2019–2020	Southend United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell (born 18 September 1974) is a famous English football player and manager. He was known as one of the best centre-backs of his time. Sol played for 20 years in the Premier League. He also played for the England national team for 11 years.

Campbell started his career at Tottenham Hotspur in 1992. He played there for nine years and was made captain in 1997. He led Tottenham to win the League Cup in 1999. In 2001, he moved to Arsenal, Tottenham's big rivals. This move made many Tottenham fans very unhappy.

At Arsenal, he had great success. He won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He was part of the famous "Invincibles" team that didn't lose a single league game in the 2003–04 season. He even scored Arsenal's only goal in the Champions League final against Barcelona.

After Arsenal, he joined Portsmouth in 2006. He captained them to win the FA Cup in 2008. He later had a short time at Notts County before returning to Arsenal for a bit. He finished his playing career at Newcastle United.

Sol Campbell played 73 times for England. He played in six major tournaments, including three FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships. After retiring from playing, he became a football manager.

Early Life and Football Start

Sol Campbell was born in Plaistow, London, in 1974. His parents were from Jamaica. He was the youngest of twelve children. His family didn't have much money, but his strict parents helped him stay away from trouble.

Sol went to Portway Primary School and Lister Community School. He was a very talented young footballer. He also trained at the FA's School of Excellence. He briefly played for West Ham United as a striker when he was younger.

Club Football Journey

Playing for Tottenham Hotspur

After leaving West Ham, Sol was not keen on joining another youth team. But Tottenham Hotspur's scout kept trying, and Sol finally joined their youth team. He was known for his strong body and power.

Sol made his first team debut for Spurs on 5 December 1992. He scored a goal in a game against Chelsea. He later became a regular player, playing as a defender.

In the 1994–95 season, Spurs reached the FA Cup semi-finals. Sol became the club captain in 1997. He led his team to win the League Cup in 1999. This was a special moment as he was the first black captain to lift a major trophy at Wembley Stadium. He was also chosen for the best team of the year, called the PFA Team of the Year.

Sol left Tottenham in 2001 when his contract ended. He wanted to play in the UEFA Champions League. Many top clubs wanted him.

Moving to Arsenal

Sol made a big move by joining Arsenal, Tottenham's biggest rivals. This was a free transfer, meaning Arsenal didn't have to pay a fee. Many Tottenham fans were very upset by this decision.

Arsène Wenger, Arsenal's manager, signed Sol because he was so strong. Sol joined Arsenal in August 2001. He quickly found success. In his first season, Arsenal won both the Premier League and the FA Cup. This is known as winning "the Double".

In the 2003–04 season, Sol was a key part of "The Invincibles" team. They won the Premier League without losing a single game. He was again named in the PFA Team of the Year.

In the 2005–06 season, Sol faced some injuries. He scored the first goal for Arsenal in the Champions League final against Barcelona. But Arsenal lost the game 2-1. Sol left Arsenal in July 2006.

Time at Portsmouth

Campbell before a Portsmouth match in 2008.

In August 2006, Sol joined Portsmouth. He quickly became an important defender for them. He scored his first goal for the club in December.

He was made captain for the 2007–08 season. He led Portsmouth to win the FA Cup in 2008. This was another big trophy for him as a captain. He helped the club avoid being relegated in the next season.

Short Stay at Notts County

In August 2009, Sol made a surprising move to League Two team Notts County. He thought the club had big plans. But he left the club just three days after his first game. His contract was cancelled. He later said he felt embarrassed.

Return to Arsenal and Newcastle

Campbell marking Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross in 2010.

Sol started training with Arsenal again in late 2009. He re-signed with them in January 2010. He scored a goal against Porto in the Champions League. He played more often due to injuries to other players.

Sol Campbell playing for Newcastle against Chelsea in 2010.

In July 2010, Sol joined Newcastle United. He played his first game for them in September. He became one of only two players to play in the first 19 seasons of the Premier League. He left Newcastle in May 2011. Sol Campbell announced his retirement from football in May 2012.

Playing for England

Sol Campbell played for England's youth teams before joining the senior team. He made his first international appearance in May 1996. He was 21 years old. He was part of the England squad for Euro 1996.

In May 1998, Sol became England's second-youngest captain. He played in all four of England's games at the 1998 World Cup.

He was a key defender for England in the 2002 World Cup. He scored his only goal for England in this tournament against Sweden. His strong defence helped England reach the quarter-finals. He was the only England player chosen for the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team that year.

Sol also played for England in Euro 2004. He was named in England's squad for the 2006 World Cup. This made him the first player to play for England in six major international tournaments in a row. He played 73 times for his country.

How Sol Campbell Played

Sol Campbell was known as a very strong and athletic defender. He was good at tackling and had a great sense of where to be on the field. Because he was tall and powerful, he was excellent at heading the ball. He was also quite fast and agile for a defender.

He was a versatile player, meaning he could play in different defensive positions. Sometimes he played as a right back. He was good at carrying the ball out of defence.

Managerial Career

After his playing career, Sol Campbell became a football manager.

Managing Macclesfield Town

In November 2018, Sol became the manager of Macclesfield Town. The team was at the bottom of League Two. He helped the club avoid being relegated to a lower league on the last day of the season. He left the club in August 2019.

Managing Southend United

In October 2019, Sol was appointed manager of EFL League One club Southend United. The team was also struggling. The season ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Southend was relegated to League Two, and Sol left the club in June 2020.

Political Interests

Campbell in 2007

After football, Sol Campbell became interested in politics. He has talked about his political views. In 2014, he said he was thinking about joining the Conservative Party.

He has also spoken about racial diversity in football. In 2014, he said he believed that racism in the Football Association (FA) was why he was never chosen to be England captain more often.

In 2015, he wanted to run to become the Mayor of London in the 2016 election. However, he was not chosen as one of the final candidates. During the 2016 vote on whether the UK should leave the European Union, Sol supported leaving.

Personal Life and Charity Work

In 2010, Sol Campbell married Fiona Barratt, an interior designer. He has a son from a previous relationship.

In 2009, Sol started a charity called "Kids go live". This charity helps children from inner cities go to live sports events. They can see events like Wimbledon and the Olympic Games.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after Campbell goal.

International goal scored by Sol Campbell

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2 June 2002	Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan	Sweden	1–0	1–1	2002 FIFA Cup

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

Player Achievements

Tottenham Hotspur

• Football League Cup: 1998–99

Arsenal

• Premier League: 2001–02, 2003–04
• FA Cup: 2001–02, 2004–05
• FA Community Shield: 2002
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2005–06

Portsmouth

• FA Cup: 2007–08

England Youth Teams

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 1993 (with England U19)
• Toulon Tournament: 1994 (with England U21)

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 1998–99 Premier League, 2002–03 Premier League, 2003–04 Premier League
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2004

Images for kids

• 

  Sol Campbell playing for Arsenal in 2010.

See also

In Spanish: Sol Campbell para niños