Revealing the cause of Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell's tragic passing

Serious concerns have emerged regarding the hospital care provided to former Arsenal and Everton footballer Kevin Campbell, who tragically passed away at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) on 15 June. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for the hospital, has highlighted these concerns, categorizing them as a Level 5 patient safety incident, the most severe classification. An inquest revealed that Mr. Campbell, 54, suffered from multi-organ failure caused by a heart infection, SSP reported.

The coroner, Zak Golombek, disclosed that Mr. Campbell was admitted to MRI on 15 May. He added that before this final admission, the footballer had experienced several hospital stays since January 2024. In relation to Mr. Campbell's care, the health trust declared the Level 5 incident due to delays in certain aspects of his treatment and diagnosis, as well as concerns over decision-making processes regarding palliative care.

The trust is currently conducting internal investigations and will provide additional evidence, including an investigation report, clinician statements, and input from Mr. Campbell's next of kin. The coroner will consider the medical cause of death from the clinicians involved in Mr. Campbell's care, noting that the provisional cause of death is attributed to multi-organ failure resulting from infective endocarditis. Final determinations on the medical cause of death and the care received by Mr. Campbell will be made during the inquest process, with proceedings adjourned for a future hearing.

The tragic loss of Mr. Campbell has deeply impacted his family, with his 24-year-old son Tyrese, a player for Stoke City, expressing the indescribable pain of losing his father. Tyrese described his father as the life and soul of every gathering, a unique individual loved by all. Throughout his career, Kevin Campbell scored an impressive 148 goals in 542 appearances for eight clubs, securing four major trophies with Arsenal and also playing for Everton, Leyton Orient, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Trabzonspor, Cardiff, and West Bromwich Albion.