Kevin Campbell, former Arsenal and Everton striker, dies aged 54

Kevin Campbell, the former Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Everton striker, has died at the age of 54. Campbell’s death was announced almost two weeks after it was revealed he was in hospital with a serious illness. He was a hugely popular figure within the game, a league title winner with Arsenal and a charismatic TV pundit in more recent years.

Related: Kevin Campbell – a life in pictures

“We are devastated to learn that our former striker Kevin Campbell has died after a short illness,” Arsenal tweeted. “Kevin was adored by everyone at the club. All of us are thinking of his friends and family at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Kevin.”

Wayne Rooney, a former teammate at Everton, wrote on X: “Absolutely devastated to hear the news about Kev. Thinking of all his family and friends. Kev was a great teammate but more importantly a brilliant person who helped me a lot in my earlier years.”

Tony Adams, Campbell’s former Arsenal teammate and captain, posted: “Super Kev: a goal machine, a giant of a man, with an even bigger heart. An intensely private and a truly wonderful human being. I’m devastated for his loved ones, and all of us. Love you Super Kev, Skipper.”

Clinton Morrison said he grew up in south London inspired by the “goals and celebrations” of Campbell and his Arsenal strike partner Ian Wright. “Being a London boy and growing up watching him and Ian Wright playing together was brilliant for us youngsters,” the former Crystal Palace and Republic of Ireland striker Morrison told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“The way they scored goals and the way they celebrated, that’s how we were, looking up to those two players as idols. We thought: ‘Look how they score goals, look how they’re enjoying themselves, look how they’re celebrating.’

“Kev was like that even when he finished football. He still had that bright smile and I only remember the good stuff, brightening up a room and being a top player and a great individual.”

Campbell has been described as “my idol” and a “one in a million person” by his son, Tyrese. “I appreciate my dad was admired by many and the outpouring of love has been some comfort as a family, so thank you for that at such a difficult time,” the former Stoke striker said in a message released on his behalf by the journalist Alan Myers.

“The pain of this is indescribable and as a son you look at your dad as invincible. He is my idol, the one I wanted to be when I grew up. He was the life and soul of every party and room he blessed, a one in a million person that was loved by everyone, a special, special person. I’ll miss you dad. I would now ask that the privacy of our family is respected as we mourn the loss of an irreplaceable father, brother, uncle and all round amazing human being. Love you always dad.”

Born in Lambeth, Campbell was a prolific goalscorer at youth level for Arsenal and made his first-team debut against Everton in 1988. He scored eight goals in 10 games during the run-in of the 1990-91 season, when George Graham’s team won the First Division championship for the second time in three years. He won a League Cup and FA Cup double with Arsenal in 1993 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup against Parma the following year, starting in an attack that also included Alan Smith and Paul Merson.

Campbell left his boyhood club in 1995, having scored 55 goals in 210 appearances despite fierce competition for places in a team strengthened by the arrival of Ian Wright in 1991. He made a £2.5m move to Forest, where he suffered relegation from the top flight in 1997 but played an instrumental part in their return as Championship winners the following season with 23 goals.

After a brief and unhappy spell at Trabzonspor, where he was racially abused by the club chairman, Mehmet Ali Yilmaz, Campbell signed for Everton on loan in March 1999. What was intended to be a short-term deal turned into a highly successful, and lasting, connection with the club.

Everton were fighting relegation when Campbell arrived but he made an immediate impact on and off the pitch, galvanising the dressing room and scoring nine goals in his first eight games as Walter Smith’s side pulled clear of trouble. The move was made permanent for £3m that summer and he was also Everton’s leading goalscorer for the next two seasons. Campbell scored the winner in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in 1999 – Everton’s last win away at Liverpool until 2021 – and was the club’s first black captain. He remained a regular visitor to Goodison long after his playing career was over, and a hugely popular figure among supporters.

Campbell also had spells at West Bromwich Albion, where he again helped a relegation-threatened club climb to safety in the Premier League, and Cardiff. He retired after being released by Cardiff in May 2007. The former England Under-21 international went on to forge a successful career as a TV commentator and pundit, his warmth, humour and decency shining through on screen as it did whenever he entered a room.

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Away from football Campbell briefly ran a record label, 2 Wikid, but the company became embroiled in a legal dispute with its first signing, Mark Morrison. He also co-owned a high-end security company. Campbell’s son, Tyrese, played for Stoke City until he was released last month.