I have no good reason to be an admirer of Sol Campbell. After all, he has played for two clubs who are considered as my team’s biggest rivals. Although he has been one of England’s finest centre-backs in recent years, he is certainly a complicated character.

He did a very brave thing in joining Arsenal from fierce adversaries Tottenham Hotspur – something Spurs fans remind him of on a frequent basis with some quite disgusting chanting. He once went straight home after being taken off by Arsene Wenger at half-time against West Ham United during a particularly dark time. And only Sol will know what was really going through his mind when he signed a five-year contract at Notts County recently.

Explaining his decision to quit the club after just one game, Campbell suggested promises made to him about the club’s future had not been met. He said: “I bought into a dream and I wanted to make that dream a reality. But it took me less than a month to realise that it was all heading to a different conclusion.”

That should be that then. But many supporters and columnists have criticised Campbell for thinking only of himself and letting down the club, Sven Goran Eriksson (who persuaded him to join) and the supporters. But Campbell deserves more credit than that. He realised he had made a mistake by joining Notts County and he deserves praise for admitting it straight away.

At 35 years old he could have stayed there, giving a half-hearted account of himself and picked up a healthy pay-cheque before retirement.  But with honesty comes respect and that is what Sol Campbell is due, not cruel remarks about selfishness.  It would have been disrespectful to the game, his team-mates and the Notts County supporters if he had stayed.  Now he is without a club until the transfer window opens in January, so his decision took guts.

A few years ago a similar situation arose at my club, Chelsea.  I was, obviously, excited by the prospect of Brian Laudrup marauding down the wing in a blue shirt, and his early performances suggested he could become a Chelsea legend.  But he soon realised he was not settled in London and quit to return home to Denmark.  It saddened me that in his final game for the club, ironically against future employers FC Copenhagen, he was booed by a section of the Chelsea support. He knew he was letting down the supporters by leaving, but he would have let them down even more if he had stayed put, unhappy, putting in sub-standard performances for big wages.

Another Chelsea player, Winston Bogarde, stayed at the club for four years but made only nine appearances. He was on £40,000 a week but repeatedly refused offers from other clubs because of what he was earning, despite rarely seeing any first team action.  Although his actions were widely criticised he responded by saying: “This world is about money, so when you are offered those millions you take them.  I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership, but I don’t care.”

Out of Campbell, Laudrup and Bogarde, I know who doesn’t get my respect.