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Former England centre-back Sol Campbell has announced his retirement from football after two decades in the game.

The 37-year-old former Arsenal player has been without a club since being released by Newcastle United in 2011.

The defender, who made his debut for Spurs in 1992, told Sky Sports News it was “hard to let go, especially when you have been a top sportsman”.

“It’s not easy for me to say it’s all over, that’s why I’ve been putting it off for a long time,” he said.

Sol Campbell

Campbell made 646 appearances for five different clubs between 1992 and 2011, as well as playing 73 times for England and taking part in three World Cups and three European Championships.

He made his debut as an 18-year-old for Tottenham Hotspur, scoring after coming on as a substitute, and went onto become the club’s captain.

In 2001, he moved on a free transfer to Arsenal, a move that provoked anger among Spurs fans.

At the Gunners, he won two league titles and two FA Cups, and scored in the 2006 Champions League final, which Arsenal lost to Barcelona.

After spending three years at Portsmouth, which included captaining the side’s win in the 2008 FA Cup final, he joined former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson at Notts County.

However, after one appearance, he left the club by mutual consent, returning to Arsenal to maintain his fitness before re-signing for his former club for the remainder of the 2009-10 season.

He went on to take part in his final season in football at Newcastle United, playing his last professional game in March 2011.

bbc.co.uk