Sol Campbell to start coaching badges process

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal defender Sol Campbell has revealed that he intends to go into management after retiring from football this week.

The ex-England international officially hung up his boots yesterday after being released from Newcastle United last summer.

"I want to start sometime in the summer," Campbell told BBC London 94.9. "But it's a slow burner that takes three to four years. The best thing is to get it done and over with. Eventually I want to get into something. But it's a long old stint to get your badges for the UK and then the UEFA badge.

"I've been to the top which doesn't always mean you'll be a great manager. Sometimes you've got to be sensitive to other things and be able to understand the game and when you have to change it through substitutions or whatever.

"You've got to be able to deal with 30 or 40 different characters in a squad. That's an art in itself. It's a challenge to produce a fantastic team, win games and carry on winning. There's a lot of ingredients to throw in before you get to that level. It doesn't scare me."

The 37-year-old clinched two Premier League titles and three FA Cups during his playing career.