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Sol Campbell pleads with Spurs fans to ‘move on’ from Arsenal transfer

Published 18:40 28 Jan 2023 GMT

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Campbell says the hate from Spurs fans has impacted his life.

Sol Campbell has urged Tottenham fans to 'move on' from his controversial move to Arsenal and admits that he is still affected by the hate he gets. Campbell swapped the white side of North London for the red in 2001 after his contract at Spurs expired. Before making the move, Campbell publicly said that he would stay at Tottenham and the shock switch led to some calling him a 'judas' by Spurs fans. The defender made over 300 appearances for Tottenham and captained the team before making the switch to their bitter rivals.

Campbell has admitted now that, over 20 years on, he is still affected by the hate and chants, which includes the line: "having a party when Sol Campbell dies". "It's almost as though people have forgotten how to be human," he told The Guardian. "Wishing and hoping that someone is going to die? And you're going to be having a party? What world are we living in?

"I know football has its tribalism but if no one around feels that this is unacceptable, well, we're in a really sorry place."

Arsenal managed to keep his move under wraps after Campbell was the subject of interest from other clubs in Europe. The 48-year-old described his first return to White Hart Lane as a player in 2001 as feeling like he was entering an 'inferno of hatred'. "We are talking about nearly a quarter of a century [since the transfer]," he added. "Where are we going as human beings if someone cannot move on? "I don't think people realise how hurtful the hate and vitriol is to me. I get the situation but it's been such a long time." Despite apologising to Spurs supporters after making the move, the ex-England defender says he has no regrets about moving to their arch-rivals. "I'm sorry about the situation with me going and I’m sorry how it happened. I’m not going to apologise for the move (to Arsenal) because I was very successful. I’m sorry about the hurt it inflicted on them."