The first free agent to fall under our microscope is former England international Sol Campbell.
The first free agent to fall under our microscope is former England international Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell is a man who needs no introduction and it is unlikely that he will be treading water in the free agent pool for long. The vastly-experienced centre-half may have endured a frustrating 12 months at Newcastle last season, but he remains an iconic figure throughout English football. A two-time Premier League winner, Campbell has made over 600 appearances for Tottenham, Arsenal (two spells), Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle over the course of a glittering career. He also has 73 England caps to his name and has appeared at three World Cups and three European Championships.
What is your situation at the moment? I take it you are hoping to be involved with a club next season?
Hopefully. We will see what happens over pre-season and go from there.
You are at a stage of your career where you don't need to accept the first offer that comes along, so are you planning on sitting tight and seeing what comes along?
I'm not going to rush into anything but I would like to, if I can, get the chance to get into somewhere for the start of July, when everyone else starts. Pre-season will ultimately determine how I go on from here.
Pre-season is very important isn't it because it allows you to get used to a new side, a new manager and new team-mates?
It's about the relationship with the rest of the players and the management. They will go away for a week or so, or maybe go away for a friendly in Europe for pre-season, and that's where you get the bonding and you get to know the players and how people play. It's very important in pre-season to get that, but also to get the fitness because if you have a good pre-season that can last you throughout the season. You need to have that level of fitness to fall back on.
Have you given any thought to the level you are looking to get back in at? Are you just looking in the Premier League?
I'm just looking at the Premier League, yeah. I'm not really looking at anything else.
What about a move abroad? Is that something which could appeal, maybe America or Australia?
We've just had a baby just over a week ago so I don't really want to be moving too far away from my family at the moment.
You're 36 now, how many more seasons do you think you have left in you?
A year, two years, we will see what happens. You just have to take each year as it comes. There are a lot of factors that will come into it - managers, owners, the feeling I get about the set-up. There are going to be a lot of things that persuade me to go to a club and a lot of things that need to fit in with my life. I don't mind working hard, playing football and winning games, but there are a lot of things that have to be right for you.
With things having not gone entirely to plan for you last season, is it also about enjoying your football now?
Yeah, it's about enjoying football again, playing football and being part of a team. I do want that again. I don't really want to go through the things that happened last season again.
Have you given any thought to what you might do when the time does come to hang up your boots? Is management or coaching something which might appeal?
Maybe, you never know. I would like to stay in football but we'll see what happens.
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We would like to hear your thoughts on the best free transfers out there. Who should we be talking to? Who are this summer's bargains? Who should your club be targeting?
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