‘Big moves pay off’ – Sol Campbell mocks Tottenham over Arsenal transfer in hilarious video
Timing is everything in comedy, and with the north London derby up next, Sol Campbell has produced a performance for the ages. The Premier League great famously swapped between Tottenham and Arsenal in 2001 in one of England’s most controversial transfers. Campbell infuriated Spurs fans with his controversial transferGetty But he’s now more than happy to joke about itGetty Having graduated from the club’s academy and joined their fiercest rivals, Campbell is still detested by Spurs fans, but 24 years on certainly isn’t too soon to joke about it. In a newly released advert for Google, the 50-year-old former England regular pokes fun at the controversial transfer in hilarious scenes. Starting off in a white jumper, he says: “It’s that time of the year again, the time of year when people start to wonder if the grass might be greener.” He then pulls it off, revealing a red sweater, and continues: “Whether they should switch sides and change allegiances.” Then, walking into his trophy room, he says: “Take it from me, big moves pay off. Sure, people will have opinions, but who cares what people think?” The references continue as Cambpell turns a vase of white lilies away from the camera, alluding to Spurs’ nickname. He finishes: “Of course you can stay with them for another year, but is anything really going to change? It doesn’t look like it to me. “So if you’re thinking about a transfer this January, I say go for it. It’s not like you’re doing anything outrageous, you’re just switching to something much, much better.” So good is Cambpell’s acting that he probably won over most fans, but plenty from the other side of north London still haven’t forgiven him for his 2001 treachery. The centre-back’s 12-year 315-appearance Spurs career came to an end that summer and if joining Arsenal wasn’t bad enough, he left on a free transfer, leaving Spurs without a fee for one of Europe’s best defenders. There are many Spurs fans who will never forgive Campbell – and he’s more than happy to play the villain nowGoogle Judas shirts were directed at Campbell and Spurs fans got in trouble for disgraceful chants and death threats. Yet, as Campbell alludes to in the new advert, he came out the winner from the whole affair. Having won just a single League Cup in nine seasons at White Hart Lane, he went on to fill up his trophy cabinet at Highbury. Campbell won the FA Cup and Premier League twice, and even made it to the 2006 Champions League final. In fact, his winning ability continued even after he left Arsenal in 2006, as he helped Portsmouth to an unlikely FA Cup win in 2009. Since retiring Campbell has tried his hand at politics, running for London mayor in 2016 before switching to management with Macclesfield and Southend. But none of those ventures were as impressive as his new foray into acting…
Timing is everything in comedy, and with the north London derby up next, Sol Campbell has produced a performance for the ages.
The Premier League great famously swapped between Tottenham and Arsenal in 2001 in one of England’s most controversial transfers.
Having graduated from the club’s academy and joined their fiercest rivals, Campbell is still detested by Spurs fans, but 24 years on certainly isn’t too soon to joke about it.
In a newly released advert for Google, the 50-year-old former England regular pokes fun at the controversial transfer in hilarious scenes.
Starting off in a white jumper, he says: “It’s that time of the year again, the time of year when people start to wonder if the grass might be greener.”
He then pulls it off, revealing a red sweater, and continues: “Whether they should switch sides and change allegiances.”
Then, walking into his trophy room, he says: “Take it from me, big moves pay off. Sure, people will have opinions, but who cares what people think?”
The references continue as Cambpell turns a vase of white lilies away from the camera, alluding to Spurs’ nickname.
He finishes: “Of course you can stay with them for another year, but is anything really going to change? It doesn’t look like it to me.
“So if you’re thinking about a transfer this January, I say go for it. It’s not like you’re doing anything outrageous, you’re just switching to something much, much better.”
So good is Cambpell’s acting that he probably won over most fans, but plenty from the other side of north London still haven’t forgiven him for his 2001 treachery.
The centre-back’s 12-year 315-appearance Spurs career came to an end that summer and if joining Arsenal wasn’t bad enough, he left on a free transfer, leaving Spurs without a fee for one of Europe’s best defenders.
Judas shirts were directed at Campbell and Spurs fans got in trouble for disgraceful chants and death threats.
Yet, as Campbell alludes to in the new advert, he came out the winner from the whole affair.
Having won just a single League Cup in nine seasons at White Hart Lane, he went on to fill up his trophy cabinet at Highbury.
Campbell won the FA Cup and Premier League twice, and even made it to the 2006 Champions League final.
In fact, his winning ability continued even after he left Arsenal in 2006, as he helped Portsmouth to an unlikely FA Cup win in 2009.
Since retiring Campbell has tried his hand at politics, running for London mayor in 2016 before switching to management with Macclesfield and Southend.
But none of those ventures were as impressive as his new foray into acting…
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