2026-01-17 10:32:36
Sol Campbell wishes he could play chess with Albert Einstein.
The former England defender hailed the physicist – who died in 1955 aged 76 – as the “greatest genius ever” and he’s fascinated by people who “see the world in a different way”.
Discussing the people he admires, he told FourFourTwo magazine: “Einstein was a genius. He was maybe the greatest genius ever.
“He brought fresh ideas to the world and tried to find greater meaning in life and our universe.
“So many of us are content to just exist in this world, but a special few try and bring greater meaning to things from scientific or artistic perspectives.
“I always admire people who can see the world in a different way and, while I won’t pretend to understand all of his scientific feats, it’s this kind of person that drives humanity forward.
“I’d love to play him in a game of chess.”
Sol would also love to have been able to have a conversation with late Brazilian football legend Pele.
He said: “Pele was such an incredible player – he could do things nobody had ever thought of before him.
“But also as a man, he was iconic.
“He was one of the first black sporting icons and I would love to have sat down and had a chat with him about everything he went through in his career – the highs and lows of playing in that great Brazil side, winning those World Cups, seeing Gordon Banks save that header and what was going through his head when that happened, but also about putting up with so much pressure and abuse.
“He got rough treatment by defenders and suffered a lot, but emerged as not just an all-time great player, but as a fantastic ambassador for football too.”
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