Campbell explains part in Berbatov's transfer to United

The United Academy graduate caught up with our official podcast co-hosts David May, Helen Evans and Sam Homewood at Carrington, in a new episode that you will be able to listen to exclusively in the United App for 24 hours, until its release across all podcast platform providers at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Campbell, currently a free agent, rose through the ranks at the club before making the first of his four senior appearances as a Red in August 2007. Since departing United, he has played over 300 games in the top two tiers of English football, representing the likes of Huddersfield Town, Hull City and Cardiff City.

During his fascinating podcast episode, Campbell discusses his journey through our youth ranks, his Reds debut, Gary Neville helping him sign a new deal at the club and much more. 

He also explains how he was given less than five minutes to decide whether he would sign on loan for Tottenham Hotspur by Sir Alex Ferguson, as part of Dimitar Berbatov’s dramatic deadline-day move the other way in 2008.

As our former forward tells the story, he was waiting to tie up a deal to join Steve Bruce’s Wigan, when Sir Alex called.

“It was the international break, so I was with the England Under-20s or Under-21s, I know I’m going on loan, and I’m sat with Steve Bruce, he was at Wigan at the time,” Campbell explains in the new episode of the UTD Podcast.

“So, I’m going on loan to Wigan, just speaking to the people and waiting for the faxes to come through so I could sign. 

“It’s getting later, waiting for this fax to come through and I get a call from a withheld number, so I was like hello? 

“And [Sir Alex says:]' oh, Fraizer, it’s Sir Alex here. I’m going to ring you back in five minutes and you’re going to need to give me your answer, but I’ve got a deal for Berbatov going through, it’s 30 million pounds, it’s only going to go through if you agree to go there on loan. So, I’m going to ring you back in three or four minutes with your decision. Speak to you in minute.'

“And that was it.”

A 20-year-old Campbell would go on to spend the 2008/09 season at White Hart Lane as Berbatov joined United. He played 22 times for the London club, gaining important top-flight experience.

“I was hardly going to say no,” he continued, on Sir Alex’s ultimatum.

“So, I told Steve and he was like 'ah no, you’re killing me. I’ve come to bring you to Wigan.' 

“But I couldn’t ring him back and say 'no I don’t fancy it, to be honest'. I don’t think that would have gone down well so I was just like 'well, looks like I’m going Spurs' and that was it.”

Campbell returned to Old Trafford at the end of the season before former United defender Bruce – having become Sunderland boss - eventually got his man, signing Fraizer on a permanent deal later in the summer of 2009.

Berbatov would of course go on to spend four seasons as a spearhead of Sir Alex's Reds attack, netting 56 goals in 149 appearances, between 2008 and 2012.