Kevin Campbell opens up on what Arsenal means to him and recalls the day his Gunners career ended

In the third part of a Ladbrokes Fanzone exclusive, Kevin Campbell talked about what Arsenal means to him and the day he knew his time at the Gunners was over.

Arsenal is the oxygen – I wake up and breathe Arsenal

I was an Arsenal fan before I was a player, so it’s brilliant for me now in my career to be able to just go back and enjoy the games as a fan again! Seeing all the success Arsenal have had over the years, there’s just a connection there between myself and the fans. Arsenal is the oxygen. I wake up, I breathe Arsenal. It’s part and parcel of who I am.

I was one of the lucky ones who got the opportunity to play for the club I supported. To be successful as a player of the team you grew up supporting is so special. I have so many memories with my family and friends, celebrating. Growing up with some of the key players of that squad, Michael Thomas, Rocky [David Rocastle], Tony Adams, Paul Merson and all of these guys. I was the young one in that group, with David Hillier and Alan Miller, we came up together. Then you’ve got your Ray Parlours and Paul Dickovs…all of these guys, that conveyor belt of young players coming through was frightening.

You play for the club, you go on to leave and forge your own career, but you’re still connected to Arsenal. And now I’m on the media side. I sit here and, honestly, you don’t realise just how quickly time goes by. It’s been 20 years since Arsenal last won the title. You blink and the time flies by.

You always want to support a team you can relate to, and the truth is, Arsenal haven’t had that for a long, long time. Since Mikel Arteta has come in, it’s something he’s worked really hard on, and I think he’s finally there. This team is a very likeable team. The Emirates is more of a fortress now than it’s ever been. Why? Because the fans are engaged. I think the fans actually like this squad, they like the players involved.

You just want them to gain some success. Obviously, there have been a few FA Cups in recent years, one which Mikel won with a team which was far from his own, but he made it work.

What he’s building at the club, I’m so desperate for him to be a success, because it’s going to mean even more, to everyone involved, now that the fans like the players. Winning trophies and titles, big trophies, cups, and to get that silverware, it means more to these fans now. It’s really important for Arteta, because the Kroenkes have put the money down and backed him. It’s really important that this team is successful.

I never wanted to leave Arsenal, but football was my business

When my contract was up, there was a new manager in place: Bruce Rioch. The George Graham years had ended. Finished. Arsenal were entering a transition and within one meeting with the new manager, I knew it wouldn’t work for me.

Yes, I’m an Arsenal fan. But, at the end of the day, football’s my business. Football’s what I do. You don’t stay somewhere where you know you’re not going to be appreciated. You want to go somewhere where you believe you’re going to improve, develop, and – ultimately – play in the position you want.

It wasn’t a matter of ‘I’m leaving Arsenal’, it was ‘I’ve got to go and work’. I’ll always be an Arsenal fan until the day I die. But, unfortunately, you have to separate yourself from the fan. The fan inside of me was screaming ‘no, you can’t go!’ because I love Arsenal, and I’ll always love Arsenal. But the player has to find a home where he’s going to play and feel comfortable.

The transition at Arsenal was happening. It was right there. I can’t look back in hindsight and say I wish I’d have played under Arsene Wenger, because no one was to know what the next few years were going to look like. They might have kept Bruce Rioch…I wouldn’t have known that. So I made my decision at the time, and I’m happy with it.

I went to Nottingham Forest, made an impression there and am still highly regarded. That’s all part of my football journey. Things aren’t always going to be as beautiful as you might have hoped, but I wouldn’t have changed my journey for the world.