Kevin Campbell, former Arsenal striker – who also played for Everton, Nottingham Forest, Trabzonspor, West Brom, and Cardiff City – has died aged 54.
Super Kev was a Hale End graduate, who made his first team debut in 1988, and went on to make 228 appearances for the club, scoring 59 goals.
He was part of George Graham’s title winning squad in 1990-91, helped the Gunners win the FA Cup and League Cup in 1993, and was in the side as we beat Parma 1-0 to win the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994.
After retirement he moved into radio and television, as well as being a regular part of the Highbury Squad podcast with Sophie Nicolau – maintaining a wonderful connection with the fans of the club where he made his breakthrough.
He was much loved, and will be sadly missed. Our thoughts and condolences are with all his family and friends today.
RIP.
What horrible news to hear. I was lucky to watch Kevin Campbell as a kid at Arsenal, he was part of that young generation of players that we all idolised.
More than that, he was a magnificent man, good natured, kind and could tell a story that made people laugh.
A thoroughly decent man who has been taken far too early at 54.
Condolences to his family & friends.
RIP Super Kev, you will be missed xx
Thoroughly echo this. I was privileged to see him in the flesh when we smashed teams left right and centre on a 14-game winning streak at the end of the season. I think he and wrighty scored a brace each in a4-0 against palace. So sorry to hear of his untimely passing, and thoughts are with his family and loved at this tragic time. Rip Kev
* loved ones
What awful news – way too young. RIP Super Kev.
Way too young. An absolute legend for those of us of a certain age.
RIP Super Kev.
Such sad news. I remember him scoring the first goal in my first match at Highbury. Such a lovely chap too.
Rest easy Kevin You brought a joy to us lads of a certain age with the way you played ! Built like a rock & harder than granite there’ll be a few being “bounced” off the clouds up there today !
Legend & always will be ! xx
Incredibly sad. Thanks for the goals and the Highbury memories.
Great player, great man.
Gone too soon.
How very sad. An absolute Arsenal Legend. Condolences to his family and friends.
Terrible news. Always a gunner. RIP
R.I.P. Superkev. Thanks for the good times.
He my first ever favourite player and probably one of the reasons I started supporting Arsenal in the first place when I was around 8 or 9. Such a sad day. RIP Kevin
Ditto this. I had his and Wrighty’s posters on my wall and loved watching that dynamic. A great goalscorer who played with an infectious smile, and by all accounts one of the best type of people in this world. Condolences and RIP
RIP super kev
This has really upset me more than expected.
Singing the Super Kev song. Remembering the celebrations with Wrighty. Such a sad sad day.
RIP our brother
Oh damn. Super Kev, Super Kevin Campbell. One of my idols when I first fell in love with the Gunners.
I remember a poster I had of him when he first broke through. He was so muscular and powerful he really stood out.
Love and best wishes to his and all the gooner family 💔
Suuuper super Kev… super super Kev… super, super Kev.. super Kevin Campbell 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
RIP Superkev. Very sad 😔
Really sad news, RIP. Vital part of a really successful and iconic Arsenal team. Taken far too early.
<3
RIP Kevin. I felt so distraught when I heard this news. Thank you so much Kevin. May he rest in peace.
Lost my Mum at that same tragically young age of 54 so my heart goes out to his family, especially his sons. BTW, I always thought we spelled it Souper Kev, as in Campbells soups, so RIP Souper Kev.
R. I. P. Big Keg, loved watching you in George Grahams Arsenal teams
Genuinely gutted to hear this horrible news. I underappreciated him as a player for us – too starstruck by Alan Smith, then Ian Wright. Grew to understand his importance in recent years. And he just seemed like the loveliest bloke whenever I saw him on television.
RIP Kevin Campbell.
Travelled from Denmark with two mates at the age of 14 or 15 and got to see Kev and Wrighty beat Chelsea at Highbury.
One of my heroes, still, at the age of 48.
Thank you for the memories.. Those are forever.
Very sad news on the same day that Millwalls goalkeeper has died aged 26. Both men so very young.
My heart goes out to their family and friends.
RIP gentlemen.
Terrible news, thoughts with his family and friends.
He was one of my first Highbury idols as a wee lad and always thought he didn’t get the attention he deserved. Rest in peace brother.
This is really sad.
Will never forget when my crazy brother and I, snuck into the marble halls of Highbury, during Rocky’s testimonial. We see Kevin Campbell walking down the stairs, and he stops for a chat. Top bloke.
R.I.P. Super Kev
Tragic news. I actually ran into Kevin outside a London Underground station about 5 years ago and had a quick chat with him. He was a complete gentleman: just like the guy you see on TV. Really warm and friendly. For us older fans Kevin will always remind us of those glory years under George Graham. He was a very, very useful striker in a very good squad. Everton fans loved him too after he turned up on Merseyside and rescued them from relegation and then became a firm favourite. My condolences to his family. RIP, Kevin Campbell: you made… Read more »
Rest in peace young man, always a Gooner. One of the greats of the Graham years, gone too soon.
its tragic to lose him so young. I noticed reports he was ill a few days ago, but thought little of it.
Sadly his time at Highbury coincided with a period I couldn’t get to Highbury due to work, so I never saw him play in the flesh But his partnership with Wrighty was the stuff of legends.
Commiserations to all his family and friends.
I’m going to miss the positive way he always spoke about the club and the game. When other ex-pros tend to be negative towards the “modern player” and the game in general, Kev always spoke positively and was always supportive of the club while always giving a genuine opinion. A big loss!
Contributed massively to the title win in 91 and who can forget how big the goal in the stadium of light (benfica) felt the same year! Unfortunately it wasn’t to be in the 2nd leg at Highbury, Rip souper kev!
RIP super Kev. Some great memories of when I was a youngster and watching you, Wrighty & Smudger pulling defences apart. By all accounts a great, great man too. Arsenal legend through & through. Condolences to all his family and friends.
So very sad. Great player and lovely man. Will be missed by so many.
Wretched news. He was a bit before my time playing for us but knew he was an Arsenal hero so I half-rooted for Everton as my 2nd team while he was there. Just one of those players I latched onto as a kid, seemed to have the strength of 2 men. RIP
Very sad news indeed. RIP Kevin, you made your mark and then some, managing to win the admiration of so many supporters from at least two clubs.
I certainly enjoyed the contribution you made when I saw you.
The two clubs being Arsenal and Everton, but he was also appreciated at Nottingham Forest by players and fans, for some stupid reason the hierarchy there decided to sell him to a Turkish team, and PvH went on strike after Campbell got sold (that’s how much his fellow striker appreciated him). RIP big man and legend 👍
Still so shocked about this
A wonderfully humble man who quietly achieved a lot without forgetting where he came from;-
ARSENAL
FA Youth Cup: 1987–88
Football League First Division: 1990–91
FA Cup: 1992–93
Football League Cup: 1992–93
FA Charity Shield: 1991
European Cup Winners’ Cup: 1993–94
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Football League First Division: 1997–98
EVERTON
Premier League Player of the Month: April 1999 – virtually single handedly kept secured their Premiership survival
against the odds.
Very sad to hear such dreadful news. One of my favourite players. And a very nice guy too by all accounts. Condolences to his family.
Oh boy, what terrible news. Will watch my low quality replay of the ECWC final vs Parma tonight instead of Euros to remember him. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us S(o)uper Kev. Rest in peace and be forever remembered as an Arsenal legend. Condolences to his loved ones..
I don’t know how I can go back to watching Highbury Squad videos
Rip Kevin I meet him in hospital On and off since February. I spoke with him everyday for two weeks in March . We got quite matey, Talking about George Graham , wrighty , Tony Adams, mid week drinking session , he drank Rum and black , that era teams etc..the current team etc…loves Odegaard He was very proud of his header Vs PSG in. Semi final in Europe in the 1990s . Rightly so. Brian Clough he also really respected when he went on loan at Forest as a teenager He got better and was out of hospital around… Read more »
Thank you for sharing this…means a lot to us.
Some nice memories there mate about a really decent bloke. God bless him…
Deepest condolences to his family.
Not old enough to have watched him play but by all accounts he was a legend of the game and a real gent. Thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.
I am so upset and sad that I did not get to see Kevin before he fell ill, I knew him back in the day when I use to go out with Kev and his brother H from Spot days what a wonderful and beautiful human being he was to everyone he met.
Great loss miss you K
Have you ever seen a player and thought “I wish we had a guy like him in my team”? I’m a Stoke City supporter and I thought the exact same thing every time I saw Kevin play. Ruthless on the pitch but kind and generous off it. My honest condolences to Kevin’s family and to his Arsenal family. His type don’t come too often.
R.I.P.
Top bloke. Amazing human being. We’ve lost a huge talent but more importantly one of the nicest guys in football. RIP Kev.