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Tue, Mar

Sol: I’m excited about T&T.
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Campbell: I’m here for the long haul

“I am here for the long run. I want to qualify. I’m a winner and I will try to help Dennis and he is a fantastic man. He is a very detailed and passionate man.

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s team assistant coach Sol Campbell has come to these shores with a wealth of experience in the game from his days as a player with the England National Team over three World Cups and a career at Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth.

In 2006 he became the only player to have represented England in six consecutive major tournaments, playing in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European Championships, and the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He was named in the Teams of the Tournament for the 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship. Other honours in the game include being in the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Team of the Year three times (1999, 2003, and 2004).

The big man has spent the last couple weeks soaking in every bit the time in T&T as he serves as assistant coach to Dennis Lawrence.

“I am here for the long run. I want to qualify. I’m a winner and I will try to help Dennis and he is a fantastic man. He is a very detailed and passionate man. He has that in abundance and Trinidad and Tobago should feel very happy and lucky to have him at the helm because he is fighting every minute of the day to get it right for the team. It’s going to be hard work and not easy. We’ve lost the two games and we’ve got to start from scratch,” Campbell said.

“I’d like to continue and I think there’s a great product here. This is my first job. The reaction to me taking this job was very positive in England. It’s an international job, it’s a proper job and you are playing against top countries. There are battles in there,” he added. “I had good reactions from Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry. It’s very difficult to get your first job in football and I am very pleased to be here.”

“I am a builder so wherever I am I like to build to the future. I think Trinidad and Tobago has got a wealth of a talent and a great future ahead,” he said.

“Dennis has been in the system with Roberto Martinez and he has been managing at Everton which is a top club. He is vastly experience in the game. The people have to realise he has been at the cutting edge of football in the Premiership. He knows what’s happening and bringing in all sorts of things into the FA with new and fresh ideas. He is a top man,” Campbell added.

As to what he’s seen of the T&T players so far, he noted “I’ve seen passion, skill and talent. There is a lot of talent here and all you need is structure and detail, knowing information and passing information among the clubs that these local players play at.”

He has that in abundance and Trinidad and Tobago should feel very happy and lucky to have him at the helm because he is fighting every minute of the day to get it right for the team. It’s going to be hard work and not easy. We’ve lost the two games and we’ve got to start from scratch,” Campbell said.