Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell has accused ex-players of showing jealousy towards Myles Lewis-Skelly, after the defender’s fast start to life in senior football.
The debate surrounding Myles Lewis-Skelly started up again on Saturday, as referee Darren England awarded an extremely soft penalty against the Arsenal teenager.
England was the same referee who failed to overturn the incorrect red card against Lewis-Skelly during Arsenal’s match against Wolves earlier this season, with the subsequent suspension overturned when the red was rescinded on appeal.
Yet England doubled down on his errors against Lewis-Skelly this weekend, with even ex-Everton players and former referees agreeing he’d made the wrong call once again.
Ahead of the game, Sol Campbell had suggested that the media conversations around Lewis-Skelly were focusing on the wrong things.
“When I look at this; I’m a bit disappointed about how ex-players have said certain things to him because of who he is, how he dresses, his tackles, everything about him, but when you look at him, he’s an unbelievable player,” Campbell said. “He does not deserve this criticism.
“I think people, especially some of the ex-players, the stuff I’m hearing. I’m thinking ‘Are you thinking straight, or does someone else write it for you?’. You want that character.
“He’s not coming out of nightclubs, being drunk and falling down the stairs. Wake up. He’s a proper player. Don’t be jealous. He’s a proper player. He knows what he’s doing.”
Saturday was a great example of exactly what Campbell was highlighting. The real highlight of Lewis-Skelly’s performance was his driving run from one box to another, beating three players in the process. But we’re talking about a poor refereeing decision instead.
The focus should be on the Arsenal youngster’s obvious talent, not all the other nonsense that those outside the club keep dragging into the limelight.