The trainee who turned

Campbell has become a mainstay in the England team

BBC Sport Online's Simon Austin charts Sol Campbell's career through his Tottenham days until his present move to north London rivals Arsenal.

Sol Campbell has been described as England's answer to Marcel Desailly.

At 6ft 2in and more than 14 stones, his athletic, powerful physique is very similar to that of Chelsea's French star.

Yet while Desailly has won almost every honour in the game, including the World Cup, European Championship and European Cup, Campbell's greatest prize to date is the Worthington Cup.

This has been a major reason for the England defender's decision to leave Tottenham after 10 years.

  Sol Campbell

1974: September - born Newham, East London.

1991: July - joins Tottenham as trainee.

1992: September - signs as a pro at Spurs; December - scores on debut against Chelsea.

1996: May - wins first of 40 caps in 3-0 victory over Hungary.

1998: May - captains England for the first time, against Belgium.

2001: May - Spurs announce that Campbell wants to leave the club

July: Signs for Arsenal

Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell arrived at White Hart Lane as a trainee in 1991 from the academy at Lilleshall.

He signed pro forms the following year and scored on his debut against Chelsea.

He made sporadic appearances in the Spurs side at right-back and even centre-forward before becoming a regular in 1992/1993.

German star Jurgen Klinsmann described Campbell as "the best right-back in Europe" when he was at White Hart Lane, but it was at centre-half that the youngster made his mark.

His Tottenham performances earned him honours for the England Under-18 and Under-21 sides.

Yet while other players from those sides, the likes of Nick Barmby, Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler, went on to gain full caps, Campbell had to wait for his chance.

It eventually came in 1996 against Hungary and he has gone on to make 40 appearances for England.

Campbell has excellent leadership qualities and in May 1998 he became the youngest England captain since Bobby Moore in 1963, when he led the side out against Belgium at the tender age of 23.

The powerful centre-half made a name for himself on the world stage at the 1998 World Cup in France, where his solid defending and rampaging runs marked him out.

Campbell: Youngest England captain since Bobby Moore

He scored a "winner" against Argentina in the second phase with a towering header, but the goal was disallowed because of a foul by Alan Shearer.

After the tournament Campbell was linked with moves to AC Milan and Manchester United, but opted to stay at Spurs.

He has seen out the rest of his contract at White Hart Lane, knowing that a big pay-day would come at the end.

He said he wanted to remain at Spurs but needed the club to show more ambition in order for him to do so.

The club's owners said they did this by bringing Glenn Hoddle and then Teddy Sheringham to the Lane.

But now, at the age of 26, he has chosen to move to north London rivals Arsenal in an indication of his desire and in order to back up his talent with silverware.