A former teammate of Arsenal and Everton star Kevin Campbell has confirmed that the striker has passed away at the age of 54. He had been hospitalized at the end of May after a sudden illness.
Kevin Campbell, an icon of Arsenal and Everton, has passed away at the age of 54, according to a statement from his former teammate Mark Crossley on Twitter this morning. Campbell had been hospitalized at the end of May following an undisclosed illness, with both Arsenal and Everton issuing brief statements at that time.
Mark Crossley expressed his devastation over the passing of his former Nottingham Forest teammate Kevin Campbell, stating on Twitter: “Life can be so cruel at times. Absolutely devastated with news of my ex Forest teammate Kevin Campbell’s passing, a true gentleman, a great player, a shining light of a dressing room, fun-loving guy, thoughts are with all his family and friends RIP mate.”
Campbell began his career at Arsenal, where he made 224 first-team appearances following loan spells at Leyton Orient and Leicester. He was a key part of Arsenal’s success, contributing to their league title victory in 1991 and playing a pivotal role in their FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993. He also famously lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup with Arsenal in the following year.
After a three-year stint at Nottingham Forest from 1995 to 1998, Campbell ventured abroad for the first and only time in his career, joining Turkish side Trabzonspor.
Campbell had a very successful football career with a number of Premier League teams (Image: Getty Images)
He subsequently had a prolific six-month loan stint with Everton in the latter half of the 1998-99 season, which led to a permanent transfer to Goodison Park that summer for £3 million. During his time on Merseyside, where he became a beloved figure, Campbell scored 50 goals in 160 games. He later had brief spells at West Brom and Cardiff before retiring from professional football in 2006.