Gallery: Five players to have played for both Spurs and Arsenal

What of those players who crossed the great divide, and played for both Spurs and Arsenal, surely none can have survived unscathed?

Oddly enough, the picture is more varied than might seem the case on first appearances. Some attract utter loathing, of course, some pity perhaps but for others it hardly seems an issue and at least one player is probably adored by both sets of fans (though smugly we can attest, mostly ourselves!).

Whether it’s more one thing than another has less to do with talent, it would appear, and more to do with personality. Traditional values like integrity, respect and humility play a significant part.

Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell
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There can have been few players as hated as Sol Campbell has been by Spurs supporters over the years. As we’ve seen, other players have made the move across North London and inspired limited vitriol but there was something about the way he did it. There was the running down of his contract so Spurs weren’t recompensed. Secrecy always arouses suspicion and nothing was known about the move in advance – what had really been agreed and when? He had been nine years at Spurs and a club captain – did he owe them nothing? The implication that Spurs would never win anything?

Then, there’s his self-contained personality that comes across as arrogant and which emerged again this week when he implied how grateful Macclesfield should be to have a figure of his stature as their new manager. (Of course, we celebrate the appointment – if half of managers in ten years time don’t have a BAME background it will be shocking. And we are ashamed of some homophobic elements to our fan fury. And we are neither surprised nor impressed he tried to become the Tory nominee for London Mayor.) One way or another an unattractive personality was responsible for an ugly, self-serving decision. As a central defender, he always reminded me of Lennox Lewis. Lewis appeared colossal and impassible without ever really seeming to box. Campbell rarely appeared to have to extend himself to be utterly imposing. However, we can’t contemplate the man without the words of the good book ringing in our ears: for what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?

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