Sol Campbell has been mocked by a host of Premier League legends after a late-night social media post.
Just before 3am on Friday morning, the former Arsenal defender took to Instagram to compare himself with legendary Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt. Campbell, who's no stranger to raising eyebrows online, showed off an infographic containing the fastest Premier League players during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, while he was plying his trade for Portsmouth.
Top of the list was ex-Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, who clocked up a lightning-fast speed of 22.72mph. Despite being 34 at the time, Campbell managed to sit in second place, ranking ahead of Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres, who shared third place ahead of fourth-best Nicolas Anelka, Ashley Cole and Cesc Fabregas.
Now 48, Campbell boasted about his feat and compared himself to Bolt, who's an eight-time Olympic gold medal winner. "Bolt hit a top speed of 24.04mph," the former England international wrote alongside the graphic. "You have to remember I did this speed when I was 34 YEARS OLD imagine the pace I could generate at the age of 23 my friends facts and figures. Respect is due!"
As more people viewed the post throughout Friday, ex-Premier League rivals and team-mates noticed Campbell's claim and attempted to knock him down a peg. Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand wrote: "Sol, I'm sorry to kill your vibe but Cesc being on this list makes this bit of data null & void. Cesc's game was brain, passing & angles, not speed - and cesc would tell u that." Ferdinand later added: "You were quick tho bro."
Have your say! Where does Sol Campbell rank among Arsenal's greats? Give us your verdict in the comments section.
Another ex-United player then chimed in, with Phil Neville cheekily commenting: "Still give us a penalty at OT tho Sol," referencing Campbell's poorly-timed sliding challenge on Wayne Rooney, leading to the penalty which ended Arsenal's famous 49-game unbeaten Premier League run in 2004.
Andy Cole, another of United's former stars, then said: "Easy sol man." Ex-Manchester City and Everton centre-back Sylvain Distin then expressed his bemusement with the statistic by questioning: "Cesc as fast as Anelka ?????? Really ?????," to which Campbell replied: "I don't do the data."
He then issued a lengthy response in the comments which read: "Nice to hear from all the guys on this, it's great to know you are all real with no computer people writing for you thank god!"
Not only is it Campbell's first head-scratching social media musing, but in 2018 he declared after being rejected for the Oxford United job during their fight to avoid relegation: "I can't believe some people, I'm one of the greatest minds in football and I'm being wasted because of a lack of experience or 'maybe he talks his mind too much'."
The now 43-year-old added while appearing on the Arsenal-themed podcast, Highbury & Heels: "If you're intelligent enough and a quick learner you will learn pretty soon, within two or three games, what the team needs, training-wise, to survive in that league, get better in that league, to get in the play-offs or even win the league.
"I'm intelligent enough, it's not like I played on a fox and dog pitch all my life.... Go to Germany, they love people who speak their minds. They got the jobs. I'm sorry that I've got a mind, but don't be scared of that. That should be something you want at your club, but obviously not."
