Sol Campbell picks his #One2Eleven on The Fantasy Football Club
Saturday 17 October 2015 07:52, UK
Former Arsenal and England defender Sol Campbell picks his #One2Eleven on The Fantasy Football Club this week.
Campbell made 211 appearances for the Gunners during two spells at the club, winning two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.
The 41-year-old, who also played for Tottenham, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle during a 19-year career, won 73 caps for his country between 1996 and 2007, and Campbell has picked a line-up consisting solely of players he featured alongside at Arsenal and England.
And what a choice he had! Campbell featured for Arsenal's 'Invincibles' and was also part of England's 'Golden' generation, so read on to find out who made the cut...
Campbell has gone for a 4-4-2 formation...
GOALKEEPER: David Seaman
He's a top man and a top goalkeeper. He was such a calming influence and you need that. He made some fantastic saves and has been there and done it. He was an ever-present and had a great career.
RIGHT-BACK: Lauren
He was a real unsung hero at Arsenal. His energy and the fire in his belly was incredible. He was a top, top player, who got up and down the right flank and even scored goals. I loved his play. He was attacking but he got back and was a proper right back which is missing a bit now.
CENTRE-BACK: Rio Ferdinand
He was a very elegant player. He had a fantastic time at West Ham but when he finally got to Manchester United, that's when he took it on and went to the proper heights, especially under Sir Alex Ferguson. That's when he excelled.
CENTRE-BACK: Martin Keown
What a competitor. He could play football as well, but he never gave in. He could head the ball. He was quick, strong and moved the ball around quickly as well. He was a proper team player and up there with the best.
LEFT-BACK: Ashley Cole
He's one of those guys who has come through the ranks and played for England and picked up so many caps. He was an ever-present with great energy. He got and up and down the pitch really well. He defended well and was tough for a small lad.
RIGHT WING: David Beckham
I used to train with him when he was around 13 at Tottenham but he always knew where he wanted to go because he used to come in in his Manchester United training kit. It was his dream to play for United. What a player! He had his free-kicks but he was hard-working and had brilliant vision. He deserves everything he has got. He's a brilliant player but now a brilliant ambassador around the world as well.
CENTRE MIDFIELD: Patrick Vieira
What a player! He was at the very top for his country and for Arsenal. He's a winner. He just oozes that. Everything used to hurt him but he got through it to get out on the pitch. He would play through anything and it was a real pleasure to play alongside him.
CENTRE MIDFIELD: Paul Scholes
I played with Scholes from about 16 with England. He was a top player then and all the way through. He was Manchester United through and through. I think he gets into a lot of teams and was one of the best midfielders, who didn't really get the recognition he deserved in terms of the media.
LEFT WING: Robert Pires
He did everything with the side of his foot. There was nothing with the laces but the vision and the passing were brilliant. In and around the goal he just knew where the ball was bouncing and he scored some amazing goals. He was a proper world class player and a fantastic lad.
CENTRE FORWARD: Dennis Bergkamp
The Iceman was a tremendous player. He was strong and quick and had a bit of a nasty streak about him. However, he was a gentleman. We all used to go for it in training and he was great. You need players like that. He could link people into play and could score goals. He was a top professional and you learn from those guys.
CENTRE FORWARD: Thierry Henry
I was thinking about Jurgen Klinsmann and Teddy Sheringham. They are top players but I have to go with Henry. He was a nightmare to mark in training because he just kept on going but that was what we wanted. We wanted to go for it every single time and that competitive side kept us all going. Everyone kept tackling and sometimes it would flair up but that's because we loved the game. It pushed us all the way and we loved it.
Watch Watford v Arsenal on Saturday Night Football form 5pm on Sky Sports 1 on Saturday.