Kevin Campbell, a former Arsenal and Everton striker, has passed away at the age of 54. He played for Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Everton, scoring 148 goals in 542 games. Campbell also had a successful media career. Kevin Campbell, 54, died, his former club Arsenal confirmed. Campbell played up front for Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Everton, scoring 148 goals in 542 club games over nearly 20 years at the top.
An Everton statement read: “Everyone at Everton is very saddened by the loss of our former striker Kevin Campbell at the age of 54. Not only was he a true Goodison Park hero and an English football icon, but he was also a fantastic person, as everyone who has met him will attest. “RIP, Super Kev.” Campbell retired in May 2007 and went on to have a successful media career, working with companies such as Sky Sports.
Sky Sports News paid tribute to Campbell: “Kevin Campbell was a great striker and a fan favourite wherever he played. He later became a genuine friend and colleague to everyone at Sky Sports News, where he added wonderful warmth and energy to his observations and punditry. “Kevin’s dickie appearances on The Football Show every Thursday will live on in our hearts. Our sympathies are with his family, friends, and all of the football fans who adored him.”
The Lambeth-born forward began his career at Arsenal, where he made his debut in May 1988. He went on to win the First Division title (1990-91), the FA Cup and League Cup (1992-93), and the European Cup Winners’ Cup (1993-94). Campbell, whose son Tyrese played for Stoke City from 2018 to 2024, scored 60 goals in 224 games for George Graham’s Gunners before joining Forest in the summer of 1995. He also spent the 1998-99 season with Trabzonspor.
However, his stint in Turkey was brief, as Everton brought him back to the Premier League on loan in March 1999 to help with their relegation battle. And Campbell’s remarkable nine goals in eight league games saved the team from relegation, as well as earning him a permanent £3 million move to Goodison Park that summer. The striker finished his seven-year spell on Merseyside as the club’s fifth-highest Premier League goal scorer, having famously scored the winner against Liverpool at Anfield in 1999. Campbell also played for West Bromwich Albion (2005-06), helping the Baggies stay in the Premier League that season, and Cardiff City (2006-07), and he scored one goal in four England U21 games between 1990 and 1992.
Campbell’s son Tyrese described him as “my idol” and a “one in a million person” following his death at the age of 54. The former Arsenal and Everton striker, who won a title and the FA Cup with the Gunners and became a hero at Goodison Park after saving the Toffees from relegation in 1999, died after a brief illness. “I appreciate my dad was admired by many, and the outpouring of love has been some comfort as a family, so thank you for that at such a difficult time,” former Stoke striker Tyrese wrote in a message shared by journalist Alan Myers.
“The pain of this is unimaginable, because as a son, you see your father as indestructible. He is my idol, the person I aspired to be when I grew up. “He was the heart and spirit of every gathering and place he blessed, a one-in-a-million person who was adored by everyone, a truly exceptional individual. I’ll miss you, dad. “I would now like to request that our family’s privacy be respected as we mourn the loss of an irreplaceable father, brother, uncle, and all-around amazing human being.” “I love you always, dad.”
Wayne Rooney, former England captain and Everton teammate, posted on X: “Absolutely devastated to hear the news about Kev.” “Thinking of his entire family and friends. Kev was an excellent teammate, but more significantly, a clever individual who assisted me greatly in my early years.” A Premier League statement said, “We are profoundly saddened to learn of the passing of Kevin Campbell, the former Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Everton, and West Brom striker. “Our thoughts and condolences are with Kevin’s family, friends and those associated with the clubs he played for.”
