LONG SHOT FOR BLADES
Sol takes over at League Two’s bottom club and is backed to do a ‘great job’ by his former Three Lions boss Eriksson
SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON has backed Sol Campbell to defy the odds and save Macclesfield from the drop.
Campbell was appointed the club’s new boss yesterday – one of just eight black managers in English football.
The tough ask is the 44-year-old former defender’s first managerial job.
And the Silkmen are currently five points adrift at the foot of League Two.
But former England boss Eriksson said: “I’m confident that Sol will do a great job. He’s Age ............................................ 44 Professional seasons ............ 20 Clubs Tottenham, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County, Newcastle
Games .................................... 646 Goals .......................................... 29 Premier League titles .............. 2 FA Cups ........................................ 3 League Cup .................................. 1 England caps ........... 73 (1 goal) European Championships ....... 3 World Cups .................................. 3 First player to represent England on the pitch at six consecutive major tournaments a natural leader and when he speaks, people listen.”
Campbell played 73 times for England and appeared in six major tournaments.
He clinched two Premier League titles with Arsenal – in 2001-02 and in their Invincibles season of 2003-04.
Macclesfield, however, have struggled this season.
They were National League champions last term, but they have won just two of their 19 league games this time around.
Campbell has agreed an 18-month contract after previously failing to land jobs at Grimsby and Oxford since he retired from playing in 2012.
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In 2014, he claimed he would have been “England captain for more than 10 years, had I been white”.
He now starts his managerial career four years after describing the lack of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) managers in English football as a “sad indictment” on the game.
Campbell, who also played for Tottenham, Portsmouth and Newcastle has earned all of his coaching badges.
He has the UEFA Pro Licence – the highest coaching qualification available, which is mandatory for all first-team managers wishing to work in the Premier League.
His Macclesfield work briefly ends his time alongside England Under-21s boss Aidy Boothroyd as part of a FA initiative to address the issue of under-representation of BAME coaches. “The more BAME guys who qualify for their coaching badges at B, A and Pro, the better it is,” he told the FA website.
“The best moment for me was when I actually got on the pitch and I was a part of the sessions.
“There are things you have to do yourself and it’s given me the confidence to know that I’ve got the tools.
“But I just need to get a situation and a nice gig somewhere.”
Campbell was in Exeter last night to watch Macclesfield’s clash with the Devon side, which they won 1-0. SOUTHAMPTON’S Shane Long is being lined up by Sheffield United. The Republic of Ireland international, 31, has started only five Premier League games this season.