The Shirt With: Hull City Striker Frazier Campbell

The occasion was an English Football League Championship play-off Final where the Tigers and Bristol City FC were competing in the game billed as the most lucrative where the prize was the promised land of the riches of the English Premier League running into hundreds of millions of pounds.

With almost 90,000 fans packed at the cathedral of English football, Campbell immortalised himself in the annals of Tigers history when he claimed the assist for the all-important winning goal notched in the 38th minute by Dean Windass.

When he received a pass from former England international Nick Barmbly in midfield, Campbell was off on his bike, racing to the left corner before he turned right then chipped the ball to Windass who was all alone at the edge of the box.

What followed next was pure magic as Windass volleyed a thunderous screamer into the net sending the Tigers’ faithful into delirium. At the final whistle, Hull earned a ticket to the EPL for the first time since its inception in 1904.

“My proudest moment in a Hull shirt has got to be the play-off final. I have seen the clip about a million times. Deano (Windass) was my only option in the box and he did what he does best.

“People still talk to me about that goal and that was 10 years ago now. I will never forget it. I don’t think anyone will ever forget that moment,” the striker who was on loan from Manchester United FC at the time recalled.

Exclusive series

He was speaking to ‘The Shirt’ an exclusive series on SportPesa online and social media platforms that kicked off with his manager, Nigel Adkins and will run for the next four weeks.

It involves engaging players in partner clubs of the leading bookmakers, Everton FC, Southampton FC, Torino FC and the Tigers on what it means to pull on the team jersey in making every opportunity given to them count.

Having become a cult hero among the Tigers supporters, Campbell left the club for another loan spell to Tottenham Hotspur FC the same year before joining Sunderland FC (2009 to 2013) in a period where he earned his first call-up to the England’s senior national team.

He proceeded to join Cardif City FC (2013 to 2014) and Crystal Palace (2014 to 2017) before returning to Hull last year where he has played to date.

On his return to the KCOM Stadium Campbell chose the same shirt number he wore in 2008.

“It’s been great to be part of it then and to come back again now. That’s the feeling behind me. Keeping the same shirt number is like picking up from where I left off. Obviously with all the history, I chose to be number 25 again.”

The striker explained further why the return to the Tigers remains important to his career.

“I came here 10 years ago and we did really well, I wouldn’t have come back if I didn’t think my team-mates and I could achieve something else that’s just as good,” he underscored.

He was part of Adkin’s squad that marked a milestone when the team toured Kenya in May where they played SportPesa Premier League champions Gor Mahia FC.

Capacity-filled Kasarani

The match played at a capacity-filled Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi ended 4-3 on post match penalties to the Tigers after a barren stalemate in regulation time.

His best day of the week is Saturday at 3pm UK time (+ 3 GMT) when he gets ready to play football in the tea-time kick-off.

“I go out there and the last thing I do is put on my shirt on and then I know I’m ready to go out and play football,” he emphasised.

The forward was introduced to the sport by his friends from Northwest England and the game was all he used to do in his childhood.

“When I was 10, I wouldn’t have stopped smiling if someone said I was going to be a footballer when I grow  up,” he offered.

For now, he is focused on helping Hull climb up the Championship table where they are lying third from bottom of the 24-team competition and force their way to post-season football.

Then, perhaps, he will get another crack at history at the play-off final in the race to be part of the 2019/20 EPL.

-Watch the full Frazier Campbell ‘The Shirt’ video here