Robin van Persie... hopes Sol Campbell will stay
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By Nick Teale
Robin van Persie hopes Sol Campbell will sign a new contract with Arsenal because the defender is exactly the character needed in the Gunners' dressing room.
The defender made a shock return to Emirates Stadium in January but his short-term contract expires this summer.
Talks are ongoing between Campbell and Arsène Wenger and following Sunday's win over Fulham striker Van Persie was asked if he wanted Campbell to be an Arsenal player next season.
"I hope so," he responded. "I think his character is great, he is a winner, he is honest - the Dutch way almost. In Holland, we are used to people who are direct, who say what they think and he is like that, very much.
"He is one of those characters you need in a squad - when someone is easing off he just tells you, 'listen, this is not the way to do it. Sharpen up because otherwise this isn't going to work.'
"We need that and that is why I am very pleased that he is here. When you look at when he came and the way he ended the last couple of months - fantastic.
"He made a sprint against Spurs, 60 metres, sprinting against a younger guy. There you go; that was special."
Van Persie donated £1,800 to Great Ormond Street Hospital at the Arsenal Charity Ball last week in order to win an auction for one of Tony Adams' England shirts.
The top was signed by the former Gunner and though Van Persie never played alongside Adams, he believes the new manager of Azerbaijan side Gabala FC would have been just as good a team-mate as Campbell has been.
"I never played with him but I heard lots of stories about him," said Van Persie.
"I respect him as a person because you hear stories from players and I have a friend in Holland who knows him personally.
"The stories he tells me are great. He is a leader by example but I just work with Sol, so I can't really compare them but the word day-to-day is they are both great."
[Thursday, May 13, 2010]
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