FORMER Blackburn Rovers striker DJ Campbell admits he was pushed to the brink of retirement as he fought to clear his name.

Campbell was arrested in December 2013 as part of a National Crime Agency probe into alleged spot-fixing in football and placed on bail.

His bail was lifted and he was released without charge in August.

MORE TOP STORIES:

And last week the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case against Campbell and 12 other footballers.

In his first interview since then the 33-year-old, who left Rovers by mutual consent in July, said he had suffered a ‘nightmare’ 15 months in which his wife and three children were verbally abused.

He also revealed that he may have hung up his boots had it not been for ‘my family, my friends’ and ‘me as well, thinking deep’.

“This is what I have been doing for years, this is what gave me the life I live, this is what has made my family happy, this is what made me happy,” Campbell told BBC Sport. “To throw it all away was tough to think of.”

Campbell is now playing in the Conference South for Maidenhead United after leaving Rovers in the summer.

The former Brentford, Birmingham City, Leicester City, Blackpool, QPR and Ipswich Town striker also revealed how his family have been affected by what has happened to him.

“I would go home and my missus would tell me what has happened in her day,” said Campbell, who was on Rovers’ books at the time of his arrest.

“The paparazzi had been following her to school and kids had been giving my kids a bit of mouth.

“Whatever is thrown at me, I can deal with it. I am used to being in the limelight, being always in front of thousands and millions of people. When it comes to your family, they are not used to that.

“It is difficult for them when your kids are going to school and other kids are saying certain things. How do you deal with that?

“They are only kids.”

After Campbell’s bail was lifted in August and he was released without charge, in a different interview, he spoke about how Rovers boss Gary Bowyer had talked him out of quitting football.

He said then: “I came very close (to quitting). I spoke to Gary Bowyer at one stage on the phone and said I was thinking about that and he said, ‘no, you’re a good player’.

“It has been a very frustrating situation and it was very difficult with what they were trying to accuse me of doing. I was basically trying to clear my name.

“I’ve done nothing wrong and I’ve said that from the start.

“It’s been very tough for me and my family, I tried to carry on playing football and I have to say Blackburn were tremendous towards the situation and the gaffer Gary was superb and understanding.”

Campbell joined Rovers on a free transfer in July 2013 after an initial loan spell.

He failed to score in his 16 appearances for the club.