Campbell mixed finesse and power with big personality

Kevin Campbell was a striker who mixed finesse, powerfulness and finishing expertise to awesome effect during a profession successful which he played a salient domiciled astatine respective clubs.

Campbell, who has died aged 54, is possibly champion known for his clip astatine Arsenal, wherever he was a First Division title victor successful 1991, and won nan FA Cup and League Cup double successful 1993 earlier playing successful nan European Cup Winners’ Cup last triumph complete Parma nan pursuing year.

The different precocious spot of Campbell’s profession came erstwhile he joined Everton connected indebtedness from Turkish broadside Trabzonspor successful March 1999 to extremity a nightmare spell successful Turkey, scoring 9 goals successful 8 games to thief Walter Smith’s broadside debar relegation.

He became an enduringly celebrated fig astatine Everton for scoring nan victor successful a 1-0 Merseyside derby triumph astatine Anfield successful September 1999. It was to beryllium 22 years earlier nan Toffees won location again, ensuring Campbell's imperishable spot successful nan affections of nan bluish half of Merseyside.

Born successful Lambeth, Campbell came to prominence successful nan younker ranks astatine Arsenal, winning nan FA Youth Cup successful 1988 and erstwhile scoring 59 goals successful a azygous play astatine that level.

He often played successful nan shadow, astatine slightest erstwhile measured by his profile, of forwards specified arsenic Alan Smith, Paul Merson and latterly Ian Wright, but Campbell's adaptability, versatility and squad ethic, allied to his earthy striker’s small heart made him a captious constituent of head George Graham’s successes astatine Highbury.

The flowering of Campbell’s Arsenal profession came aft indebtedness spells astatine Leyton Orient, who he helped to promotion from nan Fourth Division successful 1989, past astatine Leicester City successful Division Two earlier returning to nan Gunners and genuinely coming into his own.

Campbell scored 8 goals successful 10 games during nan run-in arsenic Arsenal won nan title successful 1990-91 successful what was an era of rebirth for nan Gunners nether Graham.

He was sold to Nottingham Forest successful a £2.5m woody successful nan summertime of 1995, though Forest were relegated astatine nan extremity of his 2nd play there.

However, Campbell past scored 23 goals successful a devastating business pinch Pierre van Hooijdonk arsenic Forest romped backmost to nan Premier League astatine nan first effort - only for supporters to beryllium stunned erstwhile nan nine past agreed to waste Campbell to Trabzonspor.

Van Hooijdonk efficaciously went connected onslaught for a period, successful protestation astatine nan departure of Campbell – who scored 36 goals successful 88 appearances for Forest - and yet returned to nan Netherlands pinch Vitesse Arnhem.

Campbell’s spell successful Turkey ended successful contention and unhappiness erstwhile past Trabzonspor president told journalists aft a dense location conclusion by Kocaelispor: "We bought a cannibal who calls himself a striker."

Despite claims of a misunderstanding, Campbell said astatine nan time: "This is nan biggest reproach I've had successful my life. Nothing, nary apology, tin heal nan injury. It would beryllium amended if I was allowed to time off pinch my pride."

Campbell was well-liked by his team-mates and fans successful Turkey but nan Premier League came calling erstwhile much successful nan style of a struggling Everton side, who he helped to debar relegation earlier joining permanently successful nan summertime of 1999.

He remained astatine Everton for much than 5 seasons arsenic a mainstay, first nether Smith past his successor David Moyes. He is Everton’s 5th highest Premier League scorer pinch 45 goals, netting 51 times successful 164 appearances successful each competitions for nan club.

Campbell played an important domiciled successful nan improvement of Wayne Rooney aft he burst connected nan segment arsenic a 16-year-old astatine Everton, acting arsenic nan experienced, reliable and streetwise guiding manus to nan superb young firebrand.

He later performed a akin domiciled pinch Francis Jeffers erstwhile he came done astatine Everton earlier going connected to play for Arsenal and England.

He near for West Bromwich Albion connected a free transportation successful January 2005, nan play successful which nan Baggies pulled disconnected what is still known arsenic “The Great Escape” astatine The Hawthorns, becoming nan first squad successful Premier League history to enactment up aft being bottommost of nan array astatine Christmas.

Campbell, who won 4 England Under-21 caps and 1 England B headdress contempt ne'er making nan afloat world side, retired aft a short spell astatine Cardiff City.

Away from football, Campbell formed a grounds explanation called 2 Wicked successful nan second stages of his clip astatine Everton, and pursuing his status took portion successful humanitarian activity visiting refugees successful Iraq and Africa.

He was proud of nan successes of his boy Tyrese, who has played for Stoke City successful caller seasons.

Campbell besides worked arsenic a pundit and was a regular visitant to his erstwhile clubs, wherever his lukewarm and unfastened characteristic meant he was ever welcomed pinch unfastened arms.

He was happy to prosecute pinch fans, whether retired connected nan streets earlier games astatine Emirates Stadium aliases Goodison Park, aliases arsenic a regular typical impermanent connected nan highly celebrated "The Highbury Squad" podcast.

Campbell was a subordinate and a man who ne'er mislaid touch pinch his roots.