Sol Campbell - Ashley Cole - Arsenal

Sol Campbell has insisted Ashley Cole will emerge even stronger from the alleged Chelsea tapping-up saga as the Arsenal full-back awaits the outcome of the Premier League inquiry.

The two-day hearing into claims of an illegal approach by Chelsea concluded
yesterday, with the three-man panel expected to give their decision on June 1.

Cole, who is also accused of breaching Premier League regulations, gave
evidence on the second day, but still trained with Arsenal ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final.

Gunners team-mate Campbell, who experienced a similarly intense spell after
his move from Tottenham, believes the 24-year-old defender is coping well with
the speculation over his future.

He added: "Ashley will learn a lot about himself. As a footballer, you need
to do that as there are going to be other tests on the way.

"He is a young lad and he is getting better and better. You don't need these
kind of experiences and there will be days when you are upset.

"But when they do come along and you can handle them and get through them and
come out the other side, you are much better for it."

Arsene Wenger also believes Cole will not lose his focus on the FA Cup final
against Manchester United despite this week's distractions.

"Ashley is a strong boy, he has been playing with that story on his shoulders
for three months and he can deal with it," stressed the Frenchman.

However, the Arsenal boss still revealed his fear that Cole's agent, Jonathan
Barnett, is trying to unsettle the left-back.

"We have no rift at all with Ashley Cole because we want to keep him. As for
his agent, let's have this matter completed and then see what happens," he
said.

"I am more concerned that the agent will try to move Ashley Cole than us not
wanting to talk to his agent. We have no problem with speaking to him and signing a contract,
but what the agent will want to do, I don't know."

The problem for Wenger is that relations between the Highbury outfit and Barnett have
broken down so badly that they have not spoken about Cole's proposed new
contract for several weeks.

Then again, it now seems likely Chelsea will not sign Cole, with the Blues
said to be in talks with Athletic Bilbao over a deal for Spanish left-back Asier
del Horno.

The Premiership champions maintain they did not instigate the meeting with Cole, with Peter Kenyon and Jose Mourinho having appeared at the hearing before flying to a friendly in South Korea.

The judgement on June 1 will confirm whether Chelsea or Cole, or both, are to blame. For Cole though, he would do well to heed Campbell's advice and focus on what he does best, playing football.