Ian Wright was visibly emotional as he paid tribute to his former Arsenal teammate Kevin Campbell, whose death was announced on Saturday. Speaking on ITV before the Spain vs Croatia match, the 60-year-old struggled to contain his feelings, saying: 'I can't really go too deep into it, it's very fresh. It's too soon for me to speak about it, anytime I start talking about it I start to well up. He meant the whole world to a lot of people.'
Host Mark Pougatch also joined in the tributes, recalling Campbell's joy for the game and his work in the media. 'It was the sheer joy on his face of playing football, playing for Arsenal, where he came through the ranks. Some wonderful memories, great human being,' Pougatch said. He added that Campbell loved wearing a bow tie when appearing on television.
Wright had earlier taken to social media to express his heartbreak, posting nine crying emojis on X after the news broke. Arsenal paid tribute, stating: '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.' Everton, where Campbell also played, described him as 'not just a true Goodison Park hero and icon of the English game, but an incredible person as well.'
Campbell, who died at the age of 54, began his career at Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1985. He made over 200 appearances for the Gunners, winning five major honours. After spells at Nottingham Forest and Trabzonspor, he joined Everton in 1999, scoring 50 goals in 160 matches.
