Кевин Кэмпбелл: Англиялық футболшының өмірі мен мансабы

English footballer (born 1970)

Kevin Joseph Campbell (born 4 February 1970) is an English former professional footballer, sports television pundit and co commentator. He was a striker, who featured in the Premier League for Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Everton and West Bromwich Albion. He also played in the Turkish Süper Lig for Trabzonspor, and in the Football League for Leyton Orient, Leicester City and Cardiff City. He was capped four times by England U21, scoring once and received a call up to the England B in 1991 where he earned one cap.

Campbell began his career as a trainee with Arsenal, joining the club on schoolboy forms in 1985. He was prolific for Arsenal's Academy, scoring 59 goals in one season. Campbell also won the FA Youth Cup of 1988 with Arsenal. He went on to make his first team debut against Everton on 7 May 1988, although the club's forward positions at the time were usually taken by Paul Merson and Alan Smith. Despite Arsenal signing Ian Wright in September 1991, Campbell continued to feature for Arsenal, although he was often in the shadow of his more prolific partner. Nevertheless, he scored several crucial goals for Arsenal such as equalisers against Millwall and Derby County in Arsenal's victorious 1992–93 campaigns in the FA Cup and League Cup. In the 1993–94 season, he scored 19 goals, his best for the Gunners. He also featured in the victorious 1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup campaign, scoring four goals, including one in the semi final against Paris Saint Germain. His form for the club waned in 1994–95, and the arrivals of forwards John Hartson and Chris Kiwomya saw his playing time reduced. In all, Campbell played 224 times for Arsenal, scoring 60 goals. His time in Trabzon saw him leave the club in seven months after a misunderstood racist incident which involved club president, Mehmet Ali Yılmaz calling him a "cannibal". Campbell and his teammates also had not been paid, something which he demanded they rectify. To show solidarity with Campbell, the two club captains, Ogün Temizkanoğlu and Abdullah Ercan, were at his side during a press conference in which he stated his reasons for leaving the club.

Everton, who were battling against relegation from the Premier League, signed Campbell on loan in March 1999. His impact on the side was immediate as he scored nine goals in his first eight games. These feats made him Everton's top goalscorer both at home and away from Goodison Park for that season. Campbell thus almost single handedly saved the club from being relegated from the Premier League. His six goals of which were scored in his first three games earned him Everton's player of the month award for April, making him the first loanee to be bestowed with the title. Campbell's move to Everton was made permanent in the summer of 1999 for a fee of £3million. In the 1999–2000 season, he scored Everton's winning goal in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Anfield, which was Everton's last win at Anfield before 2021, when Everton defeated Liverpool 2–0. He ended the season as the club's top scorer, with 12 goals scored altogether.

Campbell moved to West Bromwich Albion in January 2005 on a free transfer and helped the club retain its Premiership status. This endeavour marked the first time that a club that had been at the bottom of the league on Christmas Day had gone on to avoid relegation.

In May 2006, after West Brom were eventually relegated to the Championship, Campbell was released by the club. He signed for Cardiff City on a free transfer on 2 August 2006. He scored in an FAW Premier Cup quarter final match away at Carmarthen Town for Cardiff, on 13 February 2007. He also appeared, in February 2007, for City against former club West Brom. He was then released by the club in May 2007 thus bringing to an end his footballing days.

Campbell earned four caps for the England U 21s and one for England B. He holds the record of being the English player who has scored the most goals in the Premier League without earning a senior cap for his country. In September 1992 he was on stand by for a friendly against Spain, but this was the nearest he got to being in the senior squad.

Campbell was featured on the Sky Sports series Where are They Now? in 2008, when he was the co owner of security company T1 Protection, specialising in supplying bodyguards to celebrities and other wealthy customers whilst travelling abroad. He also worked with Asia based Sony TEN as a commentator for their Premier League and Champions League coverage.

Campbell ran a record label, 2 Wikid, with the label's first signing being rapper Mark Morrison, who had previously topped the charts with "Return of the Mack" in 1996. But in December 2004, with the artist still signed to 2 Wikid, Campbell was forced to obtain a court injunction against rival label Jet Star, in order to prevent it from releasing Morrison's album Innocent Man. The injunction was lifted shortly afterwards The first single released by 2 Wikid was that of Panjabi MC's tune "Backstabbers", a remix of Morrison's original song, which had been released in 2004. Campbell is an avid fan of his former clubs Everton and Arsenal. His son Tyrese Campbell is also a footballer who plays for Stoke City. However, both bear no relation to Sol Campbell.