Sol Campbell ‘definitely interested’ in speaking to Grimsby

Ian Watson

Grimsby are open to talking to Sol Campbell about their vacant managerial position – and the former England defender wants to make it happen.

Campbell made headlines this week when he said he could not understand why he – “one of the greatest minds in football” – was getting overlooked for jobs.

He was speaking after failing to land the Oxford job, but Grimsby chairman John Fenty has said he is willing to speak to the 43-year-old as he searches for a replacement for Russell Slade.

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Fenty said: “I’m surprised we haven’t heard from Sol. He said that clubs aren’t taking a punt on young managers. We’d have a chat with him.”

Speaking on the Arsenal podcast Highbury & Heels this week, Campbell said of not getting the Oxford job: “Maybe it was a lack of experience, things like that, but it’s a full circle.

“Experience? How do I get experience? Well I need a job to get experience.

“I’m intelligent enough, it’s not like I played on a fox and dog pitch all my life.

“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’.”

On Friday night, Campbell appeared on Sky Sports’ The Debate, and presenter Geoff Shreeves put Fenty’s comments to him and asked him directly if he would take Grimsby up on their offer.

“Definitely interested,” Campbell said.

When asked if Grimsby being 18th in League Two would put him off, he said: “No. I’m from a hard-working background. It’s all about getting in there, that’s the kind of guy I am.”

Fenty says Grimsby embrace inexperienced managers.

“There is a lack of players and ex-pros wanting to be managers. We’ve had no applications from people who have just left the game and that’s rather surprising,” he said.

“We’d like to get it out there that we are looking for younger managers to apply.

“We gave an opportunity to Brian Laws and he went on to manage nearly 1,000 games. We gave Paul Hurst a chance and he is now one of the most highly-rated managers in the Football League, doing a great job at Shrewsbury.”