Kevin Campbell obituary: The Arsenal and Everton hero mixed power and finesse with a big personality

Kevin Campbell was a striker who mixed finesse, power and finishing ability to great effect during a career in which he featured prominently at several clubs.

Campbell, who has died aged 54, is perhaps best known for his time at Arsenal, where he won the First Division title in 1991 and won the FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993, before playing in the final European Cups Cups. beat Parma the following year.

Campbell’s other career highlight came when he joined Everton on loan from Turkish side Trabzonspor in March 1999 to end a nightmare spell in Turkey, scoring nine goals in eight games to help Walter Smith’s side avoid relegation.

He became an enduring popular figure at Everton for scoring the winner in a 1-0 Merseyside derby win at Anfield in September 1999. It would be 22 years before the Toffees won there again, securing Campbell’s permanent place in the blue half affections. from Merseyside.

Born in Lambeth, Campbell rose to prominence through Arsenal’s youth ranks, winning the FA Youth Cup in 1988 and once scoring 59 goals in a single season at that level.

He often played in the shadow, at least when measured by his profile, of strikers such as Alan Smith, Paul Merson and later Ian Wright, but Campbell’s adaptability, versatility and team ethic, allied to his natural attacking instincts, they made him a vital part of manager George Graham’s successes at Highbury.

The heyday of Campbell’s Arsenal career came after loan spells at Leyton Orient, whom he helped to promotion from the Fourth Division in 1989, then Leicester City to the Second Division before returning to the Gunners and recovering with true.

Campbell scored eight goals in 10 games during the match as Arsenal won the title in 1990–91 in what was an era of renaissance for the Gunners under Graham.

He was sold to Nottingham Forest in a £2.5 million deal in the summer of 1995, although Forest were relegated at the end of his second season.

However, Campbell then scored 23 goals in a devastating partnership with Pierre van Hooijdonk as Forest returned to the Premier League at the first attempt – only for supporters to be stunned when the club then agreed to sell him on Campbell at Trabzonspor.

Van Hooijdonk effectively went on strike for a while in protest at the departure of Campbell – who scored 36 goals in 88 appearances for Forest – and eventually returned to Holland with Vitesse Arnhem.

Campbell’s spell in Turkey ended in controversy and unhappiness when the then Trabzonspor president told reporters after a heavy home defeat to Kocaelispor: “We bought a cannibal who calls himself a striker.”

Despite claims of a misunderstanding, Campbell said at the time: “This is the biggest insult I’ve had in my life. Nothing, no apology, can heal the injury. It would be better if I let me go with my pride.”

Campbell was well-liked by his team-mates and his fans in Turkey, but the Premier League beckoned again in the form of a struggling Everton side, which he helped avoid relegation before joining permanently in the summer of 1999.

He remained at Everton for more than five seasons as a mainstay, first under Smith and then his successor David Moyes. He is Everton’s fifth top scorer in the Premier League with 45 goals, netting 51 times in 164 appearances in all competitions for the club.

Campbell has been instrumental in Wayne Rooney’s development since bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old at Everton, acting as the experienced, trusted and guiding hand for the brilliant young firebrand.

Earlier, he played a similar role to Francis Jeffers when he came to Everton, before playing for Arsenal and England.

He left for West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer in January 2005, the season in which the Baggies achieved what is still known as ‘The Great Escape’ at The Hawthorns, becoming the first team in Premier League history to remain up after reaching down. of the Christmas table.

Campbell, who won four England under-21 caps and one England B cap, although never made the full international squad, retired after a short spell at Cardiff City.

Away from football, Campbell formed a record label called 2 Wicked in the latter stages of his time at Everton, and after his retirement took part in humanitarian work visiting refugees in Iraq and Africa.

He was proud of the successes of his son Tyrese, who played for Stoke City in recent seasons.

Campbell also worked as a pundit and was a regular at his former clubs, where his warm and outgoing personality meant he was always welcomed with open arms.

He was happy to interact with fans, either on the streets before matches at the Emirates Stadium or Goodison Park or as a regular special guest on the hugely popular ‘The Highbury Squad’ podcast.

Campbell was a player and a man who never lost touch with his roots.