Campbell was spotted by Southampton, with him joining the club in 1908. He made his professional debut in a Southern League match at Millwall on 27 February 1909, as a replacement for Bert Trueman. He "quickly emerged as one of the club's brightest-ever prospects". Two further appearances for Southampton followed, before he was persuaded to join Samuel Hill-Wood's team at Glossop North End in September 1909, together with several other amateur internationals. He remained at Glossop until January 1914, making ten appearances. He then returned to Southampton, when he was offered employment as district manager of the Hyde Abbey Brewery. Upon his return, he resigned for Southampton as an amateur, but turned professional a month later and subsequently signed for Hampshire League side Boscombe before the outbreak of the First World War.
With the outbreak of the First World War, Campbell's football career was interrupted. He served in the British Army during the war, joining the Artists Rifles. In March 1918, he gained a commission as a second lieutenant with the Royal Garrison Artillery, having attended the Artillery Cadet School. During the war he guested for West Ham United as well as turning out regularly for Southampton. Although he was offered terms to join West Ham at the end of the war, he decided to stay in Southampton, where he had been offered a directorship with a firm of fruit importers.
After regular football had restarted in 1919, Campbell returned to play for Southampton. Early in the 1919–20 season, he lost his place to George Bradburn, before regaining it in March for the remainder of the season, and being appointed team captain. At 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) he was a distinctive figure on the pitch with his "telescopic legs", who according to Holley and Chalk was "undoubtedly one of the club's best-ever centre-halves" During the management of Jimmy McIntyre when Southampton were admitted into Division 3 of the Football League for the 1920–21 season. Under his captaincy and McIntyre's management, Southampton just missed out on promotion in their first season, but a year later the pair had successfully guided Southampton into Division Two as champions of the Football League Division 3 (South), having gained promotion by having a superior goal difference to Plymouth Argyle. During his second spell at Southampton, he made 196 appearances and scored fifteen goals.
Campbell remained with Southampton until the end of the 1925–26 season, when, now aged 36, he joined Poole Town. Poole had just turned professional and joined the Southern League, Eastern Division. Although only placed 14th out of 17 sides in 1926–27, the season was distinguished by an excellent FA Cup run; Poole defeated Third Division (South) side Newport County 1–0 in the first round, followed by a 2–1 away victory against Isthmian League side Nunhead in the second round. In the third round, Poole met First Division Everton in front of 65,000 at Goodison Park, where they were beaten 3–1 by a Dixie Dean hat-trick. Campbell ended his playing career with Poole.
