Dudley Junior "D. J." Campbell (born 12 November 1981) is an English football forward currently playing Derby County (on loan from Leicester City)

[edit] Club career

[edit] Early career

Born in London, Campbell started his career at Aston Villa as a trainee,^[1] but was not offered a professional contract. In 2000 he moved into non-league football with Isthmian League Premier Division club Chesham United scoring sixteen goals in 29 league appearances.

On 20 May 2001 he signed for Conference National club Stevenage Borough. In two years at the club he made 23 league appearances, scoring three goals. In August 2002 Campbell was placed on the transfer list at his own request in order to gain regular first-team football, with the club chairman, Phill Wallace, saying, "He's a very talented lad, and has every chance of playing higher so we won't let him go unless the terms are right for us."^[2] In September 2002 he was loaned to Billericay Town of the Isthmian League Premier Division,^[3][4] making his debut for them on 24 September in a 0–0 draw with Purfleet.^[5]

On 4 February 2003 he moved to Yeading on a free transfer,^[3] who were then in the Isthmian League Division One North. He had a hugely successful spell at Yeading scoring 83 goals in a total of 109 appearances in all competitions,^[1][6]

He helped the club win promotion as champions of Division One North in the 2002-03 season. His skills were showcased in the 2004–05 FA Cup against Newcastle United on 9 January 2005, a game which was televised on BBC One.^[7] Later that season he won the Isthmian League Premier Division championship with Yeading.

[edit] Brentford

At the end of the season, on 7 June Brentford manager Martin Allen signed him for the League One club^[3] for £5,000 on a one year contract with an option to extend it.^[8]

On 28 January 2006 Campbell scored two goals to lead Brentford to a 2–1 victory over Premier League club Sunderland in the fourth round of the FA Cup.^[1][9] He made a total of 28 appearances for Brentford, scoring twelve times, in his seven months at the club.^[4] He was also named the League One Player of the Month for January 2006, after he scored five goals in his final four league games and three goals in two FA Cup games for the Bees.^[10]

[edit] Birmingham City

Three days later, Campbell was sold to Premier League club Birmingham City for £500,000,^[3][11] the fee potentially doubling depending on the player's appearances and achievements with the club.^[12] He signed a three-and-half year contract with the Blues.^[4]

He made his Premier League debut as a substitute on 4 February 2006, playing the final 20 minutes in a 2–0 defeat to Arsenal.^[13] The club were relegated at the end of the season and Campbell scored his first goal for them in a 2–1 win over Colchester United on 5 August 2006 in the Championship.^[14] On 25 November he scored with his first touch of the ball after coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute to give the Blues a 2–1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.^[15]

On 1 April 2007, after being included in the squad due to an injury to the club's new loan signing Andrew Cole he scored twice as a substitute, as they beat local rivals Coventry City 3–0; manager Steve Bruce stated, "I made a big mistake by leaving him out of the 16 and I had to admit that to him and apologise to him for that. ... He keeps knocking on the door and I'm obviously going to have to put him right in my thoughts again."^[16]

Campbell started twenty games for the Blues that season, scoring twelve goals in all competitions as they were promoted back to the Premier League.^[1]

[edit] Leicester City

On 20 July 2007, Campbell signed a four-year contract with Championship club Leicester City for an initial fee of £1.6 million,^[3] which could rise to £2.1 million, reportedly beating off competition from Watford for his signature.^[17] In his column on bbc.co.uk, Ian Holloway, then-manager of Plymouth Argyle described the fee as "absolute madness". Three months later, he went on to manage Campbell at Leicester.^[18]

Leicester were relegated at the end of the season after Campbell had made a total of 32 league appearances,^[1] scoring only four league goals. One goal he did score was in a 4–3 away defeat to Chelsea in a League Cup match on 31 October 2007.^[19] He was sidelined through injury in November 2007, suffering from osteitis pubis for three months.^[20]

After struggling to get a regular place in the first team in League One,^[1] on 8 January, 2009, Campbell signed for Championship club Blackpool on loan until the end of the 2008–09 season.^[21] He scored on his debut in a 2-1 away defeat to Coventry City on 17 January.^[22] He scored again on his home debut on 24 January against his former club, Birmingham City in a 2-0 win at Bloomfield Road. After the match, Campbell said, "I'd be lying if I said it didn't mean a lot more scoring against Birmingham. I love Birmingham. They are in my heart. I played for them for two years and had good times there. As you saw, their fans (who chanted Campbell's name at one point) haven't forgotten me which means a lot to me. But right now I am at Blackpool and I am delighted that we got the three points and I'm happy for the club because we deserved it."^[23] After scoring his sixth goal for the Seasiders in a 1-1 home draw with Southampton on 21 March, Campbell was named in the Football League's "Championship Team Of The Week".^[24] He finished the 2008–09 season as Blackpool's top overall goalscorer with nine goals.

Campbell attracted the attention of Coventry City,^[25] Queens Park Rangers and Blackpool, who were keen to re-sign him.^[26][27] However, no deal was agreed with any club following the close of the transfer window. Stripped of his squad number at the start of the 2009-10 season,^[28] Campbell did not make his first senior appearance until October 3, 2009, in a 1-1 draw against Coventry, sporting the number 23 shirt.^[29] Prior to making his return, Campbell had told the local press in Blackpool he did not want to go back to Leicester. He later strenuously denied he ever meant to cause any offence, saying, "All I said was I had no future."^[28] He later joined Derby County on a months long loan on November 26, 2009.^[30] Campbell marked his debut for the Rams in dramatic style by coming off the bench to score a 94th minute equaliser in a 2-2 home draw against West Bromwich Albion.

[edit] International career

Campbell has played for the England National Game XI (now known as England C) - the national team that represents England at non-league level.^[31]

[edit] Honours

Yeading

• Isthmian League Division One North: 2002–03
• Isthmian League Premier Division: 2003–04

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• D. J. Campbell profile at lcfc.co.uk
• D. J. Campbell profile at blackpoolfc.co.uk
• D. J. Campbell career stats at Soccerbase