Hi Sol, how are you?
I’m good, just on the way to training.
It’s the 10th anniversary of Soccer Aid on Sunday, and you’re involved. Are you ready for it? Well, hopefully (starts laughing). I’ll have had three days’ training!
You were in Kenya last week, weren’t you?
Yeah I just got back. That was good. It was with Arsenal. One of their partners, a company called SportPesa, are putting together clinics for coaches to go over there and teach the Arsenal way. We also coached some kids in Nairobi, and ultimately the target is to get Kenya to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
What else keeps you busy?
I’ve just completed my coaching badges after four and a half years – that was really good. I’ve got a furniture range with my wife, and I want to get into designing hotels and restaurants as well. We’ve got a big studio in Victoria and a showroom in Belgravia. I’ve always been interested in architecture.
Any other big ambitions?
I want to do some coaching, maybe a couple of days a week, and start building up slowly – find out my philosophy, how I like to play and things like that. I want to be a coach now and eventually I want to be a manager.
If you were coaching John Stones, what would you tell him?
Be yourself. That makes you unique. With Stones it comes down to decision making, that’s all, and that can come with experience – good and bad experiences. Don’t change being you, because it’s hard work being something that you’re not.
What was your decision making like at his age?
My decision making was pretty good, but obviously I made mistakes! (starts laughing) It’s normal, it’s part of learning.
You were in the Euro 96 squad as a 21-year-old. How much did you learn being around players like Tony Adams?
Yeah, that was good, watching Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce, Paul Ince, Gascoigne, Shearer, Teddy, Dave Seaman – just watching how people deal with pressure in different ways. That’s all part of learning. It’s not worth you sitting on the bench if you don’t learn; that’s useless. You’ve got to be observant.
There were a lot of characters in that squad. Is that something that’s gone out of the game?
Yeah, I think so.
Why’s that? Too much money too early?
I just think it’s becoming bland. There are a few characters but everyone is very well managed these days. You can be yourself and still have fun without crossing the line. Sometimes I feel like today’s players don’t want to do anything! Come on, be yourself! That’s what people want.
In Amy Lawrence’s book Invincible, there is a great picture of you and Thierry Henry sitting on a flag at Highbury after the final game of the unbeaten season. What does that moment feel like?
Yeah, we were just absorbing it, taking it all in. It’s when you sit back and you say to yourself, ‘This is it. This is what it feels like. This is the top of the world in my field. This is all the hard work, this is the pain, this is the ups and downs of football and life, this is the near misses and lucky escapes.’ You just feel ... complete for that season.
What do you think of Marcus Rashford’s emergence?
It’s great. Man United have always had a tradition of bringing on young British stars. It’s happened by default really – they had to keep on going down and down into the depths of the youth team, and they just stumbled on him. It helps that nobody knows what he does. When you start getting studied, you’ve got to go to the next level. And he has no fear, which is fantastic. At the moment he’s having fun, that’s the main thing.
What’s your proudest memory in football?
It’s hard to pick one. Winning my first cup at Tottenham, the League Cup, that was very important for me as captain; winning my first Double with Arsenal; playing top, top football for my country. And then, last knockings, winning the FA Cup as captain for Portsmouth. Everyone says you’re finished and you rock up and think, ‘I’ll show you, I’ll have a little bit of the FA Cup please!’
You were in tears after the quarter-final at Old Trafford weren’t you?
Big-time. I was so emotional.
What do you think of the recent protests against Arsène Wenger? Has it gone too far?
Everyone’s got to realise how much he’s done for Arsenal. He revolutionised the club. Yes, everyone wants to win the Premier League and Champions League. It takes time. He’s done incredibly well for the amount of money he’s spent – look at Man United, who have spent £250m in two years and have only gone sideways. It’s not easy at all. Arsenal and Arsène will know when it’s time to move on. It’ll happen naturally, and that’s how it should be because he has given so much to the club.
What was the last film you saw?
I think it was with the kids, a cartoon at the cinema. I can’t remember what it was but I just about got through it!
What’s your favourite food?
I’ve got a few – a bit of Caribbean, a bit of Italian, and I like French as well.
How about your favourite TV show?
I quite like Game of Thrones, and also Penny Dreadful.
What was the last book you read?
I think it was about Chelsea. Yeah, a book about their history.
Who, dead or alive, would be your ideal dinner-party guests?
(Thinks for a while) I would say Mandela, Kennedy ... and Gandhi.
That’s a pretty good table. Thanks for your time Sol.
Thanks Small Talk.
Sol Campbell tweets @SolManOfficial. Soccer Aid 2016 will be live on ITV at 6pm on Sunday. Since the first match in 2006, Soccer Aid has raised over £17m for Unicef. To donate, find out more or buy tickets for this Sunday’s match, click here.
