NOT SO SORE NOW, ZOHORE
SOL CAMPBELL’S last coaching assignment was helping to knock the United States out of the World Cup as Trinidad & Tobago’s assistant manager.
Then he flew to India as part of FIFA’s technical study group, analysing the Under-17 World Cup where the Young Lions, captained by Manchester City’s Joel Latibeaudiere, brought home the swag.
Campbell was even invited into the England dressing room to deliver a pep talk to coach Steve Cooper’s young bloods.
“What a comeback that was from 2-0 down to beat Spain 5-2,” said the former England captain and the first man to play in six consecutive major tournaments for his country.
“It was proper football, too. Their passing and movement was exceptional. I was asked to give them a little speech, which was a nice moment, and now it’s all about the future for these guys.
“They need to have avenues to first-team places at club level, need to be playing in the Champions League on a regular basis.”
After sending Uncle Sam into mourning – the USA’s failure to qualify for next summer’s finals in Russia will be their first absence from the World Cup since 1986 – Campbell, 43, is believed to be a contender to succeed their coach Bruce Arena, who resigned after the States came up short in Port of Spain.
It remains a mystery why a player who won 73 England caps and made 646 club appearances, most of them either side of the great north London divide, struggles to get a job closer to home. There is a perception that Campbell is, perhaps, a bit far-out – his one-match stopover at Notts County in 2009 remains one of football’s most baffling peep-shows – but few can match his breadth of experience.
We met backstage at the Mirror’s Pride of Sport awards, and he had the air of a top-end car in the showroom, waiting for its maiden voyage beyond the forecourt.
“Why have I not got a coaching job in England? You tell me – I know English football inside out, I know international football inside out, I’ve got all my badges, passed them all with flying colours, and I know my way around a training pitch. All I need is a chance, and I’m not afraid to start in the lower divisions because when I began playing football, I started in the streets.
“I know there’s a lot of competition, but I’m used to that, and if I am given 10 or 20 games to prove my worth, I’ll take it.
“That is all the time some managers get, so I understand that when you jump aboard the train, you’ve got to make it happen straight away and maybe have a bit of luck as well.
“I know I can do it, but ultimately it needs an owner or a chairman somewhere to say, ‘Sol, we believe in you.’
“What I don’t want to hear is I’m not experienced enough to take on a job – I’m never going to get experience unless someone gives me an opportunity in the first place.”
Depressingly, managerial vacancies for black or mixedrace coaches remain as common as rocking horse droppings.
Figures released by the League Managers Association reveal there are just five BAME managers at the 92 League clubs – Chris Hughton, Nuno Espirito Santo, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Jack Lester and Keith Curle – yet around 25 per cent of playing staffs are black.
Campbell said: “We need to have an intelligent discussion about it – not to frighten anybody, and not to expect too much, but those figures don’t reflect well on the game.
“I think a lot of it is to do with interviews: Listen and you might be surprised, that’s the key. But unless black managers and coaches are given interviews for jobs, you’re not going to see anything change.
“Or you need owners to break the cycle of the usual suspects by being honest and saying, ‘I’ve tried everything from A,B,C to X,Y,Z and none of it has worked, so I’m going to give you a chance.’
“We already have a generation of black players whose expertise has been lost to the game. Do clubs want to push on or are they happy to maintain the status quo?
“I don’t think the status quo is a viable option.”