Sol Campbell set to make Newcastle United debut
Newcastle United defender Sol Campbell is set to make his debut for the club tonight in a Carling Cup clash against English Premier League giants Chelsea.
The 36-year-old centre-back has been working hard to lose weight since joining the Magpies over the summer and has been playing and training with the club’s reserve team. He is expected to make his first-team debut in tomorrow night’s game and is relishing
the opportunity.
The former Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Porstmouth man told BBC that he would take the competition seriously, saying that, “It's not a run-out, it's a cup game, so I've got to give it my best shot. There'll be a few first-teamers missing. Chelsea will
probably play a full side so it'll be a tough game."
Former England international Campbell was criticised for his physical condition after showing up for pre-season training overweight. However, he now believes he is fit and ready for action.
He said that, "I've been training hard and now I've got an opportunity to play. I'm ready for it, the more games I play, the sharper I become. The main thing is the attitude's right and we're ready to go."
Campbell has enjoyed a career which has seen him win three league titles, three FA Cups and two FA Community Shields with Arsenal and the FA Cup with Portsmouth. But his first taste of silverware came when he won the League Cup with Tottenham Hotspur back
in 1999.
The defender believes that the competition is an important one, and is being taken much more seriously these days. He said that, “To win any cup these days is fantastic. But a lot of the teams, the so-called top teams, do put their best 11 (players) out
there, and everyone's going for it. If you do get to the final, it's a real achievement."
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