Iván Campo
Personal information
Full name	Iván Campo Ramos
Date of birth	February 21, 1974 (1974-02-21) (age 35)
Place of birth	San Sebastián, Spain
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Defender / Midfielder
Club information
Current club	None
Youth career
	Logroñés
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1993–1995 1995–1997 1995–1996 1997–1998 1998–2003 2002–2003 2003–2008 2008–2009	Alavés Valencia → Valladolid (loan) Mallorca Real Madrid → Bolton Wanderers (loan) Bolton Wanderers Ipswich Town	045 0(2) 007 0(1) 024 0(2) 033 0(1) 060 0(1) 031 0(2) 141 (11) 017 0(1)
National team
1998–2000	Spain	004 0(0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 1 September 2009 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Iván Campo Ramos, (born 21 February 1974 in San Sebastián, Basque Country), is a Spanish footballer, currently without a club.

Originally a central defender, Campo featured in a defensive midfield role in his later years.

[edit] Club career

[edit] Spain

Campo started his playing career at Deportivo Alavés, by then in the third level. He stayed there for two seasons until midway through his third, signing with Valencia CF, who immediately loaned him for the rest of the season to Real Valladolid, which he helped narrowly avoid relegation.

After completing the year with Valladolid, Campo returned to Valencia only to be released, joining recently promoted RCD Mallorca. In the Balearic Islands side, he formed a formidable partnership with Marcelino Elena (later of Newcastle United), as Mallorca finished fifth in 1997-98.

In 1998, Campo signed with Real Madrid, and contributed to Madrid's 2000 Champions League winning side, playing all 90 minutes of the final. However, after falling out of favor, he was sent to Bolton Wanderers F.C. on a one-year loan in August 2002. Following the 2002–03 season, Campo was expected to return to the Spanish capital, but unexpectedly signed a three-year permanent deal with the English club, deciding he preferred living in Bolton.^[1]

[edit] Bolton Wanderers

On 19 August 2006, in the first match of Bolton's new season, Campo scored a 43-yard drive which caught Tottenham Hotspur and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson off-guard and flew into the bottom corner of the net. In a post-match interview, his boss Sam Allardyce admitted Bolton's goal of the season competition may have already been decided by Campo's wonder strike.

In May 2008, Campo was not offered a new contract by manager Gary Megson and left Bolton.^[2]Shortly before the 2008 European Championships, Campo wrote a letter to the Bolton supporters expressing his regret at not having been able to bid the club a proper farewell. The letter appeared on a website run by the Sky Television presenter Guillem Balague.^[3] He eventually played in a final match at the Reebok Stadium, in honour of teammate Jussi Jääskeläinen.

[edit] Ipswich Town

Campo signed for Ipswich Town after passing a medical on 11 August 2008.^[4] He scored his first goal against Barnsley FC in a 3-0 win.^[5] After only featuring in roughly a third of the league's matches for the club, the 35-year old was released by manager Roy Keane at the end of the season.^[6]

[edit] International career

Campo appeared four times for Spain, his debut coming on March 25, 1998, in a 4-0 friendly win over Sweden in Vigo. He was also part of the nation's 1998 FIFA World Cup squad.

[edit] Other ventures

Campo featured in a Spanish TV advert for a fruit drink. In the advert two men take off their shirts to reveal tattoos of Campo's head on their chests.^[7]

An Indie band from Preston, England have named themselves Ivan Campo.^[8]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Stats at Liga de Fútbol Profesional (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Bolton Wanderers profile at Burnden Aces
• Iván Campo career stats at Soccerbase

v • d • e Spain squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Zubizarreta • 2 Ferrer • 3 Aranzábal • 4 Alkorta • 5 Abelardo • 6 Hierro • 7 Morientes • 8 Guerrero • 9 Pizzi • 10 Raúl • 11 Alfonso • 12 Sergi • 13 Cañizares • 14 Campo • 15 Aguilera • 16 Celades • 17 Etxeberria • 18 Amor • 19 Kiko • 20 Nadal • 21 Luis Enrique • 22 Molina • Coach: Clemente