Arsenal icon forced to apologise for 'insensitive' tribute to Everton hero Kevin Campbell

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has come forward with an apology after facing backlash for his 'insensitive' tribute to former Gunners teammate and Everton hero Kevin Campbell.

The football world has been mourning the loss of Campbell, 54, who passed away following a brief illness on Saturday. The ex-striker was revered for his spells at his beloved Arsenal where he clinched the double with Parlour in 1993 and Everton, where he became the club's first black captain and scored the Blues' most recent winner at Anfield with supporters present in two decades.

Following the announcement of his passing on Saturday morning, tributes poured in, with figures like Ian Wright and Wayne Rooney expressing their sorrow on social media. Parlour also paid his respects.

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Initially, Parlour posted on X, previously known as Twitter: "Devastated hearing the news this morning RIP Kevin. Great player and even nicer Fella. Thoughts with his family at this tough time."

However, controversy arose when Parlour then shared a video on social media where he was seen mixing Jagermeister with beer and drinking it, a gesture he frequently makes online, as a salute to Campbell. This act drew criticism from the online community, prompting him to remove the video and post: "I apologise if I have upset anyone in my last post. I wholeheartedly didn't mean to come across as insensitive.

"I loved Kevin and I'm honestly devastated for his family and friends at this terrible time. I'm sending all my love to them and anyone who came across this amazing man."

Everton expressed their sadness at the passing of Campbell on Saturday in a statement which read: "Everyone at Everton is deeply saddened by the death of our former striker Kevin Campbell at the age of just 54. Not just a true Goodison Park hero and icon of the English game, but an incredible person as well - as anyone who ever met him will know. RIP, Super Kev."

Clearly shaken, ex-colleague Wright whilst covering Spain's 3-0 win against Croatia at Euro 2024 on ITV added: "I can't really go too deep into it. It's very fresh. I only heard this morning.

"Obviously my best wishes and condolences go to his family but it's too soon for me to talk about it. Anytime I start to talk about it I well up. He meant the whole world to a lot of people, especially myself."