Newcastle United's Sol Campbell Hits Back Over Weight Taunts
Newcastle United defender Sol Campbell has hit back at “pathetic” fans who have taunted him over his fitness levels.
While the 35-year-old - who signed a one-year deal the Magpies after moving on a free transfer last week - admitted he was not yet as fit as his teammates ahead of the new season, he was not pleased to learn that fans had mocked photographs of him looking overweight. The images, which had been taken during training sessions, were later posted on Newcastle internet message boards where fans described the former Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur central defender as having a “fat belly."
Player defends physique
Campbell defended his physique while speaking to Soccernet. He claimed that his lack of fitness was due to the fact that he had been relaxing on honeymoon with new wife, interior designer Fiona Barrett. He said that: “It’s pathetic. I had been training for three days - just three days. I am three weeks behind everyone else in pre-season. Don’t they know I have just got married and been on honeymoon?"
“I accept that the picture wasn’t flattering, and I do need to catch up on my level of fitness, but the training kit was not very flattering and showed up all sorts of things. The truth is that I am now in better shape than when I started off back at Arsenal after a long lay-off. I got myself back into shape at Arsenal, and I think I had a reasonably good end half of the season. My message is simple to all the knockers - I am knuckling down and want to play my football with a great club and a great manager. Then you can judge me.”
Top-flight return
After being relegated from the English Premier League last season, Newcastle were promoted from the Football League Championship at the first time of asking. They mark their top-flight return with a trip to play Manchester United at Old Trafford on August 16th. Although Campbell said it is not likely he will be in peak physical condition by then, the former England international is wary of pushing his body a little too hard and becoming injured before the first ball is kicked.
He said: “I am a naturally big guy, but I cannot rush my conditioning, otherwise trying too much too quickly could result in injuries. Of course I can understand the manager wants me to be in the side, but the season starts in just two weeks and I really need three to four weeks to get back to peak fitness. It’s a long season and I cannot listen to idiots. I know these things cannot be rushed. What I do know is that I will achieve peak fitness given the time I need to do it. It might be that I will need to play and then put in extra training in between games.”
Campbell started his career with Spurs and made his senior debut in 1992, where he scored in a match against Chelsea. In the 1998-99 season, he captained the team to a League Cup win. In 2001, he made the switch to Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal on a free transfer. He stayed there for five years and had a stint at Portsmouth and played a single game for Notts County before returning to Arsene Wenger’s side in January 2010.
In his first spell at Arsenal, Campbell won the EPL title in the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons. He also won the FA Cup three times with the Gunners and once with Portsmouth. Between 1996 and 2007, he played 72 times for the England national team and scored one goal.
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