Jonathan “Jonny” Campbell was one of the most popular foreign players when he played in Cambodia from 2018 to 2020.

The American defender was well-known for his all-around prowess on the pitch when he played for Phnom Penh Crown FC in 2018 and Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC from 2019 to 2020.

He helped led PKR Svay Rieng FC to the Cambodian Premier League (then known as Metfone Cambodian League) title in 2019.

Campbell parted ways with his old club after the 2020 Season, signed with a Filipino club and returned to the United States (US) after that deal did not pan out due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 30-year-old defender returned to the Kingdom in June and joined Tiffy Army FC.

In this Q and A with Khmer Times Deputy Sports Editor Jose Rodriguez T. Senase, Campbell talked about his background, experience in the Cambodian P-League and his decision to return to Cambodia to play under the Tiffy Army FC banner.

KT: Please tell us about your background.

Jonny Campbell:  I’m an American professional football player from Johnson City, Tennessee. I’ve been playing football since I was a young boy in the US, then played for East Tennessee State University while studying for a Business Degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Marketing. After graduating, I wanted to pursue my dream of becoming a professional footballer, and that’s exactly what I did. I’ve played professionally in the US, Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia.

KT: Why did you decide to return to Cambodia?

Jonny Campbell: I returned to Cambodia, because I love this country. The football fans here have always treated me with a lot of love and respect.  Also, I love the culture and the Khmer people. They are very kind and welcoming, especially when you’re respectful of their culture and values.

KT: Where did you play after your stint in Cambodia? It was reported earlier that you signed with the Filipino club United City FC. Why it did not push through?

Jonny Campbell: After playing in Cambodia for three years, one year with Phnom Penh Crown FC and two years with Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC, I signed with United City FC, a club in the Philippines formerly known as Ceres Negros FC. They scouted me when I played against them in the AFC Cup in 2020. I had been in touch with a few of their players since that game, and they were interested in bringing me in fo the 2021 Season. Unfortunately, Covid was really bad in the Philippines at the time, so we went to Dubai for pre-season, and then to Uzbekistan for the AFC Champions League group stage. The Covid situation in the Philippines remained the same after that, with foreigners barred from entering the country.  The 2021 Season of the Philippine Football League was eventually cancelled.  In 2022, I signed for a third- tier side in the US called Syracuse Pulse. It was exactly what I needed to play games and get my match sharpness back. Overall, it was a good experience and the coach is a great guy who understood my situation. He knew my ambition was to play abroad again. So, when the opportunity to return to Cambodia came midway through the season, I was able to take it.

KT: How would you describe your experience in Cambodia so far? Your experience playing with Tiffy Army FC? How was it different from playing in another country or in another team?

Jonny Campbell: It’s been really good to be back, exactly what I expected with all the football fans being very happy I’ve returned. I can’t thank all of them enough for their love and support. I feel like I needed a week or two to adapt to the weather again. But after that, I’ve been feeling good. We went on a five- game unbeaten streak when I first joined the team, but recently lost our form. So, hopefully we can recapture that form in our next match this Saturday. Tiffy Army have been very good to me since I arrived. I’ve been speaking with them since the start of the season. So, it’s nice to finally come back and be a part of their family. The difference in Tiffy Army and the other clubs I’ve played for in Cambodia is that I’ve never played for an all Khmer staff, just like here today.  In 2018, at PPC, I played for an English head coach named Sean Sainsbury, and from 2019 to 2020, I played for Conor Nestor, a coach from Ireland.

KT: You won a title with PKR Svay Rieng FC in 2019. Do you think you will also win a title with Tiffy Army FC?

Jonny Campbell: I won the Cambodian Premier League title with Svay Rieng FC in 2019, and nearly won it a second time in 2020, but luck wasn’t on our side that final game of the season. The 2022 Season is nearly finished, with only five games left for us to play. We are too far behind to win the league this season. But, hopefully in the future, Tiffy Army FC will continue to develop and have a chance. There is a lot of young talent on the team. If they keep improving, then I’m sure they can win the title in the future. With that being said, we have five games left to try our best to make it to the top four. The top four teams will go into a playoff round, so, hopefully we can achieve that. But in football nothing is guaranteed, you just have to work hard, stay focused, and hopefully the results will go your way.

KT: How would you describe your relationship with your new teammates? In what areas your presence is helping your new team?

Jonny Campbell: I have a really good relationship with everyone. I think this goes for every team I play in, because it’s all about respect and being happy. If you’re respectful and you enjoy interacting with everyone, then it’s easy to make lifelong friends in the teams you play. So, it’s been nice joining a new family and everyone being very accepting about having me as a Tiffy Army FC teammate. The team already has a lot of talented players before I came. I think bringing me in probably just gave the players a bit more confidence and settled everyone’s nerves. We went on a five-game unbeaten streak, but unfortunately, the last three games haven’t gone our way. Hopefully, we can return to that form in our next game. We never know the future, especially in football. But right now, I’m happy and enjoying my time with Tiffy Army FC.

• Tags: Jonathan “Jonny” Campbell, Tiffy Army FC