‘I might quit football…’ Star discusses his Birmingham City career and plans for future

Tate Campbell is willing to walk away from full-time football after being released by Birmingham City, having become disillusioned with the injuries and politics involved in the beautiful game.

He was dismissed by the Blues in May after making four professional appearances. Campbell did not play for Blues in his final two years due to a string of hamstring problems and the club’s frequent managerial changes.

During that time, he lost interest in football and now worries whether he will ever return to the sport professionally. Campbell revealed on the Keep Right On Podcast regarding his departure from Blues, which he joined when he was seven years old in 2009, “I could definitely see it coming.” I’d returned from injury and realized my time was up.

“If I’m being completely honest and transparent, I might have been released a year or two ago, so I’m grateful to Craig Gardner for sticking with me through my ailments. I understand how football works; players who are better than me get injured and are done for the season. With my injuries, I felt like I was on borrowed time, so I’m almost grateful to have survived this long.

“I’m experiencing a lot of conflicting emotions. I’m the last one in my age group, but it’s only worth so much if you don’t make it to the top; even things like that make me proud. At the same time, if injuries hadn’t occurred at various moments, I might be sitting here having a different talk with you guys.

“Going forward, I’m still contemplating if I want to continue playing football given the injuries and how it’s gone. If I do play again, it will most likely be on a part-time basis in order to rediscover my enjoyment of it. You never know, if I slip down to a level that is too easy for me, I might be able to make my way back up the league.

“But, for the time being, I’d like to focus on other things, such as starting a business. If it’s a good fit for me, I’ll consider playing part time. If not, I’ll leave the football there and move on with my life.”

Campbell communicates with a maturity that belies his 21 years. He has already begun developing a business strategy to provide for himself outside of the restrictions of the training site.

He went on to say, “I love football and have always had a passion for it, but I also understand that there are other ways to be successful. When you’re in the football bubble, it may not seem evident; it’s presented to you as this or nothing, but I’ve always understood that I’m a smart guy who can find methods to succeed outside of the game.”