England: Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell is one of the greatest home-grown talents ever to have been produced by Tottenham.

So you can imagine the surprise of the club and their fans last summer when he took advantage of the Bosman transfer ruling and joined arch-rivals Arsenal.

It was a brave move by the former Spurs skipper, who had his pick of clubs including the biggest of them all, Spanish giants Barcelona.

But the 27-year-old was prepared to put up with the hate campaign which was destined to come his way the moment put pen to paper and signed a four-year contract at Highbury.

‘‘I’ve made my decision and I just hope people respect it,’’ said Campbell when he made his move.

‘‘It is something I am prepared to face and hopefully it won’t be a major problem for me. I’ve signed a four-year contract and I believe in that time I can make some great strides in my career.

‘‘The decision has been made totally on the basis of football and my career.

‘‘I spent a lot of years at Tottenham and while I was there I played my heart out and tried everything to help move the team in the right direction. But the time finally came to make a decision to move on.

‘‘There were other clubs interested and some were abroad. There were a lot of factors to consider but in the end overwhelmingly it was Arsenal because of the manager, the set-up and the players.

‘‘All I want to do is play football and make the best of my career. I feel that this is the place to do it.’’

Within three months of the new season, Campbell’s resolve was tested as Arsenal played Spurs at White Hart Lane and he entered a cauldron of hate.

Among the demonstrations held by the home fans when they saw their former idol in the red and white colours was a ‘balloon protest’ whereby 4,000 balloons, with the word ‘Judas’ printed on them, were released before the start of the north London derby.

Fortunately things ended amicably on the pitch as the teams drew 1-1 and after that Campbell was allowed to get on more quietly with his Gunners career.

Campbell enjoyed a meteoric rise through the Spurs ranks after signing as a trainee in 1991.

The ‘Sol Man’, as he is affectionately known because of his love for music, was just what Tottenham had been crying out for years - a dominant centre-half to rank alongside White Hart Lane legends of previous eras and a young man who was, quite simply, the heart and soul of the team.

As well as his rock-solid displays for his club, Tottenham’s former captain and most prized asset was a picture of calm authority, pace and vision for his country during France ’98 and some of his surging runs from the back were breathtaking.

Who can forget either, the look of delight on his face when he thought he had scored what might have proved to be the winning goal against Argentina, until it was ruled out because of a push on the goalkeeper by team-mate Alan Shearer.

When Campbell won his first full England cap against Hungary he said pulling on the Three Lions was the proudest moment of his life.

Legendary German striker Jurgen Klinsmann once dubbed him ‘‘the best right-back in Europe’’.

But that was before he established himself as a player best utilised in the heart of the defence, and Klinsmann was soon singing his praises in his favoured position.

Campbell was born in Newham on September 18 1974.

He attended the FA School of Excellence from 1989 and joined Spurs as a trainee in July 1991, turning professional in September 1992.

Campbell made his senior debut on December 5 of that year as a substitute against Chelsea, and scored in a 2-1 win.

By end of the last World Cup he had 20 full caps, one for England B, 11 at Under-21 level and nine at youth, and he went on to captain England at Wembley.

Campbell is now an established England international, with Sven-Goran Eriksson rating him as highly as previous national coaches.

If, as Campbell hopes, his controversial move is turning him into a better player, then England will surely benefit in Japan and South Korea this summer.