I played against Everton hero in training and was worried when he joined - he ended up saving the club

Back in 1999, Kevin Campbell’s goals steered Everton to safety as the striker finished the club’s top scorer despite only netting for the first time on April 11.

Back when transfer deadline day didn’t arrive until March, the former Arsenal and Nottingham Forest striker returned to English football after a bizarre fall-out at his Turkish side Trabzonspor in Campbell had been described as “a discoloured cannibal” by club president Mehmet Ali Yilmaz. However, the Black Sea coast outfit’s loss proved to be the Blues’ gain as, after defeats to Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday in his first two matches, the Londoner netted an incredible nine goals in a five-game purple patch to keep Walter Smith’s men in the Premier League.

Starting with a brace in a 2-0 home win over Coventry City on April 11, it was 25 years ago today that Campbell really turned the tide for a struggling Everton team as another double inspired a 3-1 win at Newcastle United. The 29-year-old had inherited the famous number nine jersey at the club from Duncan Ferguson who had been controversially sold to the Magpies earlier in the season with transfer negotiations taking place behind the scenes as the two clubs faced each other at Goodison Park with Michael Ball’s penalty giving the Blues a 1-0 victory on November 23.

On the day of Everton’s visit to St James’ Park for the return fixture, Ferguson hit out at owner Peter Johnson’s decision to sell him for £8million. The Scot said: “From the club’s point of view, it was a bad idea to sell me because they never got the money from the deal to rebuild.

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