Arsenal star Ray Parlour forced to apologise for 'insensitive' Kevin Campbell tribute

Ray Parlour has made a sincere apology following criticism over his tribute to his ex-Arsenal teammate Kevin Campbell, which was termed as "insensitive".

Campbell, 54, tragically passed away this week after a brief sickness. The former Premier League striker used his skills to assist Arsenal to a double win with Parlour in 1993 and later offered impressive performances for Everton which made him a beloved player among the fans.

Upon hearing the heartbreaking news on Saturday morning, tributes started pouring in for Campbell who had recently been admitted to the hospital and eventually described as "very unwell". His fellow former teammates like Ian Wright and Wayne Rooney conveyed their condolences through social media, including Parlour, reports the Mirror.

Parlour, 51, firstly posted on Twitter: "Devastated hearing the news this morning RIP Kevin. Great player and even nicer Fella. Thoughts with his family at this tough time." Subsequently, Parlour uploaded a video showing himself pouring a mix of Jagermeister and beer as a tribute to Campbell before consuming the booze, something he frequently does online.

This act called for criticism from the fans online and in response to it he expressed regret by removing the video and wrote: "I apologise if I have upset anyone in my last post. I wholeheartedly didn't mean to come across as insensitive."

He added: "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 announced the heartbreaking news of Kevin Campbell's passing after a brief illness, expressing their devastation and extending thoughts to his loved ones: "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 also shared their sorrow over the loss of the cherished striker: "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."

While covering Spain's 3-0 victory over Croatia at Euro 2024 for ITV, an emotional Wright paid homage to his late friend: "I can't really go too deep into it. It's very fresh. I only heard this morning."

Wright continued, visibly moved: "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."

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