Campbell: 'Owen As Skipper Was Embarrassing!'

Last updated : 02 March 2014 By Footy Mad - Editor

... during his England career, which ran from 1996 to 2007 and saw him play in three World Cup and two European Championship finals.

Sol Campbell: "Michael Owen was made captain ahead of me.

"I thought, 'What is going on here?' I think the FA didn't want me to have a voice.

"Owen was a fantastic forward but nowhere near being a captain. It was embarrassing.

"I've asked myself many times why I wasn't (named captain). I keep coming up with the same answer. It was the colour of my skin.

"What's the point of having a bridge you can't access? I say, burn it, and build a new one so you can cross over. If I'm wrong, then I'm listening."

Campbell's three games as captain came in three friendly matches - against Belgium and the Czech Republic in 1998 under manager Glenn Hoddle, and against the United States in 2005 under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

He retired from football in May 2012 after being released by Newcastle a year before.