Perry Groves 'devastated' as he pays emotional tribute to Kevin Campbell following death of his former Arsenal teammate

Kevin Campbell was not only a fantastic player, but he was also an even better human being.

Those were the words talkSPORT pundit and former Arsenal star Perry Groves used to describe his former team-mate and friend. who has sadly passed away at the age of 54 years.

The news was confirmed on Saturday morning after it emerged earlier this month that Campbell was seriously ill in the hospital..

Groveswho won the premiership title alongside Campbell in 1991, spoke to talkSPORT shortly after the news broke and paid an emotional tribute to his friend, saying his spirit will always be with him and everyone who knew him.

“Devastated doesn't cover it, mate,” he said in the Euro GameDay warm-up.

“Although we all knew he was ill and had been poorly cared for a couple of weeks ago, we know Kev is a fighter so we are keen to see him through.

“You get this news and it's just… life is so unfair. You think about things in your own life that are going wrong. I have to be honest, I'm still trying to process it.

“Most of us, 99 per cent of us, have character flaws. Super Kev didn't have any. He didn't have any. Every club he played for will say how fantastic he was.

“But he was an even better human being. Everyone who knew him lit up the room when he walked in, he was so humble.”

Groves and Campbell played for Arsenal in the late 1980s and early 1990s; the first arrived from Colchester United in 1986 and the second emerged from the youth set-up in 1988.

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They remained friends as they took different career paths, and Groves went on to Southampton in 1992 and Campbell left Arsenal to Nottingham Forest in 1995.

Campbell played 542 club games and scored 148 goals during a long career in which he won five major trophies with Arsenalwhile also gaining legendary status in Evertonalso.

“I've known him since he was a teenager,” Groves continued. “You know, I've known him for 38 years. We lost Alan Miller a couple of years ago at a very young age.

“This sounds really good… If people die when they're 75, 80, I can process it and say 'OK'. When someone I knew when I was at Arsenal in the youth team and they die…

“And you know, for Kev's family, his immediate family, his kids, I really can't understand it.

“There will be a huge, huge outpouring of love and respect for Kev and it will all be sincere, believe me. He was a fantastic person.”

Groves went on to say that Campbell had messaged him two months ago.

And he added: “We are in a group together, all the Arsenal boys. I received a message from him, he was sick in February and we knew it and we all sent messages.

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“Then I got a message from him in April and we were like, 'Oh great, Kev's out!'

“So to think, on the one hand, oh, that's great, Kev is out, it looks like he's on the road to (recovery) and then hearing two weeks ago that he's struggling and he's in the hospital, then this…

“Honestly, his spirit and soul will always be with us. Always.”

Curtis Davies, who played with Campbell at West Brom during the 2005/06 campaign, later joined talkSPORT by phone to pay his respects.

He commented: “I was hoping it would get better and we would hear good news, but unfortunately I woke up this morning and it surprised me and shook me, it's a really sad day.”

Davis continued: “He was amazing to us, the young ones, the older ones, the tea people, the men on the team.

“And I learned a lot from him about how to be a proper captain, it's not just about taking ten other men to the field, but going around the building, making sure everyone is taken care of and okay.

“It was his personality, he was a great guy, anyone who knew him knew he was a great person to be around.

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“I'm not entirely introverted, but with Kev you would definitely come across as introverted because he was usually the funniest one in the room, the one telling all the stories and jokes.

“He's really going to be missed by a lot of people.”

Arsenal icon Alan Smith, winner of the league title as well as the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup, joined Max Rushden and Charlie Baker to pay his own tribute.

The 61-year-old said: “He was an extrovert in many ways, full of life, full of smiles and had such a positive attitude towards life.

“I remember him coming through the ranks of the youth team and then in the senior set-up, everyone loved him straight away, he was one of those infectious characters in the dressing room.

“It's a very sad day.”