Sol Campbell's Notts County walk-out didn't surprise me one bit

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Published 23:00 27/09/09

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Sol Campbell's decision to quit Notts County was no surprise to me.

When the former England defender turned up at Meadow Lane on a lucrative five-year deal, I predicted he would not see it out.

I didn't expect him to go after one League Two game I must admit.

But it just shows what a monumental mistake he made going there.

As a former player myself, I reckon central defenders have a cosy existence in the Premier League and rarely come up against a physical threat in matches.

They can play the ball out from the back under little pressure from centre-forwards.

And I reckon Sol's debut in the team's defeat Morecambe last week must have been a huge culture shock.

I always said unless Sol was fitter and more pumped up than he was at Portsmouth then he wouldn't be able to get away with it down the divisions.

In League Two, Campbell would have been required to defend in a gritty manner and I just didn't think he would be up for it.

I remember I went on loan from Aston Villa to Fulham when they were in the Championship.

I played against a big rugby-type player called Andy Morrison, who was at Manchester City.

I remember Morrison trying to stick his tongue in my mouth, and Darren Purse at Birmingham giving me loads of verbal.

It is what players at that level thrive upon because they do not have as much ability and try anything to get an advantage.

Sol went down a couple of divisions and he wouldn't have been used to having opposition forwards in and around his body space except at set pieces in the past.

A lot of people make the mistake of dropping down the divisions expecting it to be easy when physically it is actually more demanding than the Premier League.

I can guarantee Sol walked off that pitch after their 2-1 defeat at Morecambe thinking: 'I am going to look bad and I will step out now while my reputation is intact and I can get a good club in January'.

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