Former Tottenham co-owner and chairman Lord Alan Sugar intervened to prevent Sol Campbell joining Manchester United prior to his controversial switch to Arsenal. The defensive stalwart – who spent nine years with Spurs – has shared how England colleague Gary Neville reached out to encourage the switch after United showed interest.
However, Campbell is certain then-Tottenham chairman Lord Sugar played a role in preventing the transfer from materialising. This pivotal moment arguably shaped Campbell's career trajectory, as he eventually crossed the north London divide to join arch-rivals Arsenal on a free transfer.
That decision saw him infamously branded as 'Judas' by the Spurs faithful, most of whom still haven't forgiven him for the move to this day.
Speaking about how close he came to joining United instead during the mid-90s on the Stick to Football podcast (via The Mirror), brought to you by Sky Bet, Campbell claimed: "You [Neville] bloody called me!
"I remember, I was having an afternoon nap, and the phone call came through and Gary asked me if I fancied United. I must have been about 21 then... it did go further, but Sugar blocked it."
When probed about his relationship with the former Spurs chairman, Campbell was coy as he suggested: "A lot of players have had difficult times with him." His path in football might have been entirely different if not for the intervention of the star of BBC's The Apprentice.
Campbell's tenure at Tottenham eventually came to an end when his contract expired in 2001. This was despite Spurs' efforts to retain him by offering a record-breaking salary for the club; Campbell chose to stay in London but switched allegiances to arch-rivals Arsenal.
Tottenham consistently challenged for European qualification during the first half of Campbell's tenure at the club. However, it was during the latter portion of his stay that the north Londoners settled for mid-table and lower-half finishes.
Former Spurs chariman Alan Sugar during a press conference in 1995
Lord Alan Sugar stopped Sol Campbell from joining Man United (Image: Graham Chadwick /Allsport)
United were transitioning in defence at the time of Sir Alex Ferguson's supposed interest. Steve Bruce was approaching the end of his time at Old Trafford, with the likes of David May and Ronny Johnsen coming in to partner Gary Pallister in the mid 1990s.
There's no knowing what he might have achieved had he left the capital to link up with the Red Devils. Not that his CV as it stands is anything to be sniffed at.
Campbell, 50, won the League Cup with Tottenham in 1999 and went on to even greater heights with Arsenal, where he claimed two FA Cups and two Premier League titles.
He also played a role in the 'Invincibles' squad that remained unbeaten throughout the 2003/04 Premier League season.
Sol Campbell on the Sticks to Football podcast
Campbell spent nine years at Spurs before his infamous move to Arsenal (Image: Sky Bet)
Discussing interest received from other clubs during the final six months of his time at Spurs, he said: "Bayern came in really earlier, but you don't know – is it a newspaper phoning you up? Back in those days, you didn't know.
"Liverpool came down, but the manager didn't come for the meeting. I went to Inter, had a chat with them. Barcelona came in at the end, but you just don't know, it's all propaganda. Arsenal obviously came in at the end."
After a successful five-season spell with the Gunners, Campbell moved to Portsmouth for the last of his peak years. His career later included brief periods with Notts County and Newcastle, as well as a short comeback at Arsenal, before he retired from professional football in 2011.
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