Darren Campbell told Soccer AM that nothing compares to playing football in front of a big crowd.
There's something special about scoring in front of 50,000, says Campbell
He may be an Olympic gold medallist who has run in front of over a hundred thousand people, but Darren Campbell says there's nothing quite like scoring a goal in front of a big crowd.
The 35-year-old former sprinter retired from athletics in 2006 having won Olympic, World and European Championship medals in various events including the 200 meters, 100 meters and 4 x 100 meters relay.
His greatest moment came at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens when he won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 meters, while in 2000 he came away with silver in the 200 meters at the Sydney Games.
However, the Manchester United fan, who almost signed for Plymouth Argyle before returning to athletics in 1995, told
Soccer AM that the feeling he gets from playing in celebrity football matches like The Match cannot be rivalled:
"I've got to say that when we played in The Match, that was unbelievable," he said.
"I've run in front of 120,000 people at the Olympic Games, but for any young boy or girl now, to get to play a football match in front of 50,000 people is something special.
"I was talking to Jeff Brazier about The Match this week and we were saying that when you're in a dressing room with a legend like Alec Stewart, he really does get you fired up.
"I've been around a lot of great sports people, but Alec Stewart is one of those people that when he says you've got to die for the cause you say, 'OK, how many walls do you want me to run through!?'
"Although it was a bit fun, it was actually very serious for us and we didn't want to lose."
Coaching
Since retiring from athletics, Campbell has increasingly found himself immersed in the world of football, coaching a number of high profile players in his role as a pace and acceleration specialist.
And the last time he was on the show, he revealed how he had also been working with former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko.
However, while he was still on the phone talking to Helen, Chelsea were denying that he had any involvement with the club, much to his astonishment.
He said: "I had been working with Shevchenko at that point for about seven or eight months. But (Jose) Mourinho didn't really want anyone helping Shevchenko, so initially when I was coaching him I was doing the training sessions at his house on his tennis court!
"So I'd always kept it quiet because of the Mourinho thing, but once he left I was allowed to do the sessions at the training ground.
"So when you called me I was actually on holiday in Cyprus, but before I went to Cyprus I had actually sat down with Avram Grant and was negotiating a contract to potentially go and work there!
"But you actually did me a favour because I'm a United fan and it was one of those decisions in your life when you're like, 'oh it would be great, but then I'm going to get abuse!'
"And then I was thinking, 'the money would be great, but I'm going to get abuse, but if they make the money worthwhile... I'll take the abuse!'
"So basically you called me and I didn't realise that he had denied it, I then said yes to you guys because you had so much information and it had been in the newspapers anyway, so clearly someone at the club leaked it.
"And then it was like I need to apologise if I want to continue, and I was just like, 'yeah...OK!'"
