Sol: Cup win will be mission complete
SOL CAMPBELL admits he is close to completing his Pompey mission.
The Blues skipper joined the Fratton Park club with the aim of helping establish the club as a force in the Premier League and qualifying for Europe.
Pompey take on Championship side Cardiff at Wembley in the FA Cup final tomorrow.
And while it's clear the prospect of a European campaign is a huge motivating factor for the 33-year-old, he knows the job is not yet done.
Campbell said: 'There's a little bit more work to be done, but to get to the final is a great achievement for everyone.
'We have to win and we have to get into Europe and that will definitely push me on for sure.
'The FA Cup is brilliant.
'You have to enjoy it for what it is.
'But what comes with that is Europe.
'We all want a different dimension to next season – and that is European football.
'It's a double whammy. If we win that we get into Europe.'
Despite his exploits with Arsenal – he won the Cup in 2002 and was an unused substitute in the Gunners' 2005 Cup triumph – and England, Campbell believes winning the competition with Pompey will be up their with his greatest achievements.
He said: 'I will be very proud leading the team out and being captain at the final.
'It will be a great day for everybody.
'I'm looking forward to it.
'It's fantastic to be involved in any cup competition, especially the FA Cup.
'It's the biggest domestic cup around the world.
'Outside the so-called top four, people don't expect you to win cups.
'You expect the top four to gobble up the Cup and championships.
'It would be a big achievement for Pompey to win it – that's what it's all about.
'Personally, it would be a great achievement to put a stamp on the season.'
Campbell is relishing the battle against the Bluebirds – and concedes he'll be as nervous as the next player.
He said: 'I've done it before but it's still nice to still get a little bit of nerves and excitement. You've got to get a balance.
'If you are too nervous you can't do anything and if you are too relaxed you are sloppy.
'It keeps you feeling alive and aware, and that's what it's all about – that adrenalin rush.
'All the experience helps and I can pass it on to the lads.
'But there are a lot of players with experience, as well as the coaching staff, of course.'
The full article contains 433 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
16 May 2008 8:40 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Portsmouth