Sol Campbell has left Gary Neville, Ian Wright and the watching millions stunned with a shocking new West Ham and Spurs revelation.
When West Ham fans think of former Tottenham and Arsenal star Sol Campbell, minds undoubtedly drift back to one particular game at Highbury.
In 2006, West Ham became the last team to beat Arsenal at their old ground before the move to the Emirates.
West Ham were having an excellent season and would go on to reach the FA Cup final.
That would come just after lasagne-gate which saw the Hammers deny Tottenham Hotspur a Champions League place, much to the delight of beneficiaries Arsenal.
The likes of Thierry Henry and his Gunners teammates were singing West Ham’s bubbles anthem that day in recognition of them beating Tottenham.
It was one of a host of big stories from that memorable season.
Another was West Ham’s game at Highbury, which was remembered for one huge moment in Premier League history.
A 31-year-old Campbell was given a torrid time by Alan Pardew’s side that February day as he made a hash of an attempted clearance to allow Nigel Reo-Coker to put the visitors ahead.
Ex Spurs striker Bobby Zamora then held off a challenge from Campbell, who had been one of the world’s great centre-backs of his time, to put West Ham 2-0 ahead.
Campbell asked to be substituted at half-time and promptly left the ground.
Arsene Wenger later admitted that game and incident persuaded him Campbell’s time at the club was over, as reported back then by the Guardian.
Campbell was born in the heart of West Ham territory, in Plaistow – a stone’s throw from the club’s beloved former Upton Park home.
But he would go on to make his name playing for and captaining bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Campbell burned his bridges with Tottenham, though, when he famously completed a shock free transfer to Arsenal, being unveiled at a press conference alongside Wenger in dramatic scenes.
Campbell stuns Neville and Wright with shocking new West Ham and Spurs revelation
The much-maligned character has never been shy in expressing his true feelings since retiring.
Now Campbell has stunned Gary Neville and Ian Wright with a shocking new West Ham and Spurs revelation.
The former defender, now 50, was a guest on the latest episode of Sky Sports show, The Overlap.
When speaking about the start of his career he made a claim about an incident which meant he ended up playing for Spurs instead of West Ham.
Campbell actually started out as a striker in his youth team days.
And he started life at West Ham – not Tottenham.
When asked who he supported as a boy, Campbell revealed it should have been West Ham as they were his local team.
“But I never really connected with them,” Campbell said.
“One of my mates took me to a game at Upton Park, last 15 minutes they’d open the gates.
“But I couldn’t afford to go to football games, no chance. That was it really. I used to like Man United for different reasons. They were one of the teams, when I was at Lilleshall, that had a lot of black players playing for them, that was why I liked them.”
He may not have connected with West Ham as a fan.
But he could have ended up playing for the Hammers, though.
Until an incident which saw him walk out on the club and join Tottenham.
Campbell reveals why he walked out on West Ham for Spurs
“I was at West Ham, that was my first club West Ham,” Campbell revealed.
“I wasn’t signed, I didn’t like signing (schoolboy forms) with anybody, I liked to just play football.
“And I left West Ham because a few things happened there at 13 years old.
“There was one scenario happened after training, you kind of come off Chadwell Heath – I think they still train at Chadwell Heath – and I’m saying ‘Right I’m not to happy’ then finish training and one of the guys said ‘Oh cheer up Sol, you’re 2-1 up’.
“I said ‘What do you mean 2-1 up?’, (and he said) ‘Well you know West Indies 2-1 up against England in the cricket’.
“I thought (exhales sharply) ‘What’s that all about?’. He was mixed race as well the guy.”
Neville and Wright are left stunned by the admission. Neville asks: “You left straight away?” while Wright interjects, saying: “You left for that?”.
Campbell added: “Yea. I said I’m not having this anymore, went back to district football and they picked me up again, one of the scouts for Spurs, used to train there, Becks (David Beckham) would rock up, it was good, all local lads, he’s from Chingford, I’m from Plaistow.”
After making his breakthrough for Tottenham, Campbell then admitted he almost left in the first couple of years for Forest as he was angry at a lack of opportunities.
“I was giving myself two years (at Tottenham), if it wasn’t happening I’m gone,” he said.
The Overlap panel were amazed at Campbell’s mindset and self-belief.
And it did take something from growing up as an east Londoner, crediting that for his mentality.
“East London, Plaistow, Stratford (is the reason for my mentality) have you been there? It’s not easy,” Campbell added.
