Sol Campbell's greatest hits: highs and lows of the returning Gunners hero

By Mirror Football in Mirror Football Blog

Published 10:00 13/01/10

Sol Campbell's corkscrew-like career has taken yet another unexpected twist after he rejoined Arsenal, the club he served with such distinction for five years.

A shock move for sure - but then Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell has made something of a habit of those over the course of his 17 years in football...

December 1992: Goal-scoring Tottenham debut
Sol Campbell made his debut in December 1992, coming on as a sub against Chelsea in place of Nick Barmby. It was immediately clear Spurs had a star on their hands when he scored their only goal in a 2-1 defeat.

May 1996: England debut
He also began his international career as a sub, coming on at Wembley when England were already 3-0 up against Hungary in a friendly warm-up match for Euro 96. Despite having just one cap to his name, he still made the squad for the tournament, although his only first-team action was a five minute cameo at the end of England's group stage match with Scotland.

May 1998: Captain Sol
By 1998 he was an established member of Glenn Hoddle's England defence and in May he became England's second youngest captain ever (after Bobby Moore ) when he took the armband in a pre-World Cup friendly against Belgium.

World Cup 1998: Nearly saves England (Part I)
The game against Argentina that had everything. Campbell thought he had secured a happy ending for England when he had the ball in the net with ten minutes to go and the scores at 2-2. As he wheeled away to celebrate what he thought was his first England goal, the referee disallowed it for Alan Shearer pushing the goalkeeper. Inevitably, England then lost on penalties.

March 21, 1999: wins League Cup with Tottenham
He picked up his first silverware - but he was made to sweat for it as Leicester City held Tottenham until the 90th minute in the final at Wembley when Allan Nielson struck the winner for Spurs. It was the only trophy he won during his White Hart Lane career.

2000: Takes to the silver screen
Perhaps a frustrated thespian, Sol made his big screen debut in Guy Ritchie gangsta flick Snatch as a bouncer at a unlicensed boxing match.

Summer 2001: Sol-long Spurs
A home-grown player, Campbell was Tottenham's best player and their beloved captain but in 2001 he destroyed his relationship with the Spurs fans forever when he did the unthinkable and left on a free-transfer to sign for arch rivals Arsenal.

2001-02: Double trouble
It may have been a controversial move - perhaps the most controversial ever in English football - but it soon proved to be the right one for both Campbell and Arsenal as he helped the club win the Premier League and FA Cup double in his first season at Highbury.

World Cup 2002: All Star Sol
His partnership with Rio Ferdinand was the bedrock on which England's 2002 World Cup campaign was built on. After helping England reach the quarter-finals - and finally scoring his first England goal along the way against Sweden - Campbell was the only Englishman named in FIFA's World Cup All-Star Team.

2003-04: The Invincibles
In September 2002, Arsene Wenger was widely ridiculed for suggesting his team could go a whole season unbeaten. Two years later, his prophecy came true when the so-called Invincibles won the Premier League title in style, with Campbell holding it all together at the back.

Euro 2004: Nearly saves England (Part II)
An almost exact re-run of the what happened against Argentina six years earlier, and just as painful. With the scores level Campbell thought he had scored a late headed winner, only for the referee to rule it out for pushing on the goalkeeper. England lost on penalties. Again.

February 2006: AWOL SOL
Campbell was clearly struggling with form in the 2005-06 season and it all came to a head in a 3-2 home defeat to West Ham in February. After he was at fault for the first two Hammers goals he was subbed at half time and immediately left the stadium. He went missing for several days as it emerged that he was suffering from depression.

May 2006: Sol close
His last match in the Arsenal shirt he had served with such distinction was the Champions League Final against Barcelona. He scored the opening goal but the Gunners were unable to hold on and lost 2-1.

World Cup 2006: Record breaker Sol
Although he was no longer first choice for England he went to the 2006 World Cup as cover for John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. When he came on for the injured Ferdinand against Sweden he became the first England player to appear on pitch in six consecutive international tournaments.

August 2006: Play up Pompey
Despite hinting that he might move abroad, Campbell joined Portsmouth - then managed by Harry Redknapp. He struck up a good partnership with Linvoy Primus and seemed to have a new lease of life on the south coast.

August 2007: Skipper Sol
His return to form meant Redknapp named him Pompey skipper a year after he joined.

May 2008: Up for the Cup
As captain he helped Portsmouth reach the FA Cup Final, leading them out at Wembley and helping team win the trophy for the first time in nearly 70 years.

2008: Top Gunner
In contrast to his departure from Tottenham, Campbell left Arsenal on good terms with the fans and in 2008 he was voted 15th in Gunners' greatest ever poll.

September 2008 - Over the mark
He has always taken abuse from Spurs fans when playing against his former club but when Tottenham visited Fratton Park in September 2008 the vitriol was deemed to overstep the mark as he was subjected to continual homophobic chanting from the stands. Eleven people were later arrested and given football bans for shouting the abuse which Harry Redknapp described as "filth".

July 2009: Signs for Notts County
He shocked the football world when he signed up with League Two side Notts County, just weeks after his contract with Premier League Portsmouth expired. He said County were the best club for "where I am at the moment in my life", although the £40,000-a-week contract he got might have helped him make his mind up...

September 2009: Leaves Notts County
It seems that just a couple of months later, he was at another place in his life, as he walked out on the club after playing just one match. His League Two adventure was over.

January 2010: Rejoins Arsenal
After impressing Arsene Wenger in training, the Gunners boss reckons Campbell can still cut it at the top and has signed him up as cover for first choice pairing William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen.

Sol Campbell makes Arsenal reserves bow - picture special

Can Campbell and Vieira conquer their biggest challenge: the effects of time? Martin Lipton on the Prem's old timers

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