Blackpool striker DJ Campbell says he is living the ‘kid’s dream’

Blackpool striker DJ Campbell has scored 13 Premier League goals this season and is living the ‘kid’s dream’ with Ian Holloway’s side.

Campbell had previously had an unsuccessful short stint in the Premier League with Birmingham and is proud of proving all of his and the club’s doubters wrong this season.

“I knew from the last period I had in the Premier League that it’s not easy, so that was playing on my mind,” Campbell said in an article in The Guardian.

“I was thinking: ‘Get your first goal, DJ, and things will start from there.’ Luckily enough I scored on my Premier League debut for Blackpool against Newcastle and that removed the burden I had on my shoulders.

“I think that settled down a lot of nerves and got rid of the demons I had from last time in the Premier League.”

Campbell’s 13 league goals for Blackpool this season put him behind only Darren Bent in the English scorers chart ahead of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe, and led to the striker even being linked with an international call-up.

“My missus was telling me about the Darren Bent statistic the other day, and when you hear things like that it does make me proud of what I’ve achieved this year.

“Seeing your name among the top scorers is brilliant, especially when I think of what I used to do and where I have come from to get where I am.

“I just love playing football and to be up there with these great players is every kid’s dream. And I know I’m not a kid anymore, but I still have dreams.

“I think I was quite close last time to getting a call-up, which was great,

“Fabio came to watch me playing against Tottenham at home, and I managed to score and set up one. It just made me smile to think how far I’ve come.”

Ian Holloway’s team were pre-season favourites to suffer an immediate return to the Championship and have surprised many to still be in contention to retain their top-flight status going into the final fixture.

“A lot of people wrote us off before the season started, saying we would only get 10 points, so it’s been a great achievement to be where we are,

“I feel proud of what we’ve achieved. And I think we’ve proved a lot of people wrong.”