16 June 2024 , 05:41
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Ray Parlour has issued an apology after his tribute to former Arsenal team-mate Kevin Campbell was criticised for being 'insensitive'.
Campbell, 54, died this week following a short battle with illness. The ex- Premier League striker was best known for his time at boyhood club Arsenal, who he helped win the double alongside Parlour in 1993, and later at Everton, where his goals made him a fan favourite.
Tributes flooded in following Saturday morning's sad announcement, with Campbell having recently been admitted to hospital and subsequently being described as 'very unwell'. His old team-mates such as Ian Wright and Wayne Rooney paid their respects via social media, as did Parlour.
The 51-year-old initially posted on X, formerly Twitter : "Devastated hearing the news this morning RIP Kevin. Great player and even nicer Fella. Thoughts with his family at this tough time."
Parlour then shared a video of himself pouring a mixture of Jagermeister and beer in a tribute to Campbell before drinking the alcoholic beverage, something he often does on social media. That sparked criticism from fans online and he wrote after deleting the video: "I apologise if I have upset anyone in my last post. I wholeheartedly didn't mean to come across as insensitive.
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"I loved Kevin and I'm honestly devastated for his family and friends at this terrible time. I'm sending all my love to them and anyone who came across this amazing man."
Arsenal confirmed the news just before 10:30am on Saturday, saying: "We are devastated to learn that our former striker Kevin Campbell has died after a short illness. Kevin was adored by everyone at the club. All of us are thinking of his friends and family at this difficult time. Rest in peace, Kevin."
Everton, meanwhile, posted: "Everyone at Everton is deeply saddened by the death of our former striker Kevin Campbell at the age of just 54. Not just a true Goodison Park hero and icon of the English game, but an incredible person as well - as anyone who ever met him will know. RIP, Super Kev."
Emotional former team-mate Wright paid tribute to Campbell when appearing on ITV to cover Spain's 3-0 win against Croatia at Euro 2024, saying: "I can't really go too deep into it. It's very fresh. I only heard this morning.
"Obviously my best wishes and condolences go to his family but it's too soon for me to talk about it. Anytime I start to talk about it I well up. He meant the whole world to a lot of people, especially myself."