Former Arsenal player Kevin Campbell recently passed away due to a serious illness at the age of 54. Campbell had played for several soccer (football) clubs, including Arsenal, Everton, West Bromwich, and Cardiff. He even worked as a TV pundit for Sky Sports, where F1 presenter Craig Slater grew fond of him as a fan. To commemorate his passing, Slater made a thoughtful gesture at the Spanish GP weekend and wore a similar outfit to what Campbell wore back in the day.
F1 photojournalist Kym Illman narrated this anecdote after speaking to Slater about the same. Illman stated in one of his YouTube videos, “I took this picture of Craig Slater today. Never seen Craig in a long-sleeved shirt like this nor with a bow tie.”
Sky Sports presenters pay tribute to Kevin Campbell. pic.twitter.com/8EAuqCTOvB
— EFC DAILY (@EFCdaily_) June 20, 2024
Illman then further added on what Slater told him, “This is in honor of Kevin Campbell. Kevin played for Everton, Arsenal, and some other teams and was a regular presenter on Sky. And he would always wear a bowtie on Thursday. So, to commemorate his passing, Craig was indeed dressed up as Kevin”.
Slater wearing a white long-sleeved formal shirt with a black bow tie was quite a catchy outfit on a partly sunny Barcelona afternoon. However, his reasoning of it being a tribute to the late Kevin Campbell is certainly quite touching and highlights the respect Slater has for the former Arsenal player.
Campbell scored 59 goals for the North London-based club and was also part of the 1991 Premier League-winning team. He also helped Arsenal win the FA Cup, among other titles. Campbell’s other notable stint came at Everton, where he scored 51 goals.
How Arsenal and the football world reacted to Kevin Campbell’s demise
Campbell was in a hospital after being seriously ill for the past few weeks. There were no details about why the 54-year-old was ailing but the situation escalated and soon after, the shocking news about his death came out. It was a shocker for the English soccer world as Everton and Arsenal reacted to the news alongside Campbell’s former teammates.
Arsenal tweeted, “We are devastated to learn that our former striker Kevin Campbell has died after a short illness. 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”.
We are devastated to learn that our former striker Kevin Campbell has died after a short illness.
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 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Kiywyo7nTr
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 15, 2024
Campbell’s former teammate Wayne Rooney also posted on X, citing how “Kev was a great teammate but more importantly, a brilliant person who helped me a lot in my earlier years”.
Everton too posted how they always gave him the “warmest of welcomes when he returned to Merseyside – and quite right, too”. Just like Craig Slater, everyone in the soccer world is remembering the fabulous player that Kevin Campbell was.
