It is some time since Sol Campbell swapped the conquests and controversies of life with Arsene Wenger at Arsenal for a more simple existence in the company of Harry Redknapp down on the south coast with Portsmouth.

But on the eve of challenging for a third FA Cup winner's medal at Wembley, the 33-year-old defender insisted his drive and ambition remain as intense as ever.

There were doubts about that when in August 2006, just three months after scoring for Arsenal in their defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League final, Campbell signed for a Pompey side still sweating over a narrow escape from relegation rather than make the expected move to a more high profile club abroad.

Yet, perhaps joining unfashionable Portsmouth should not have seemed so strange, given Campbell's complex and sometimes unpredictable nature - famously, three years ago, he walked out on Wenger halfway through a home defeat against West Ham.

Yet Campbell insists his motives for moving to Fratton Park were sound. He said: "You want to keep pushing yourself and see just how far you can go. When I came here I saw it as a great opportunity to be part of a club moving in the right direction. I could see that all the building blocks were being put in the right places, so I decided to come. It's worked out well for me.

"I think eventually someone new will break into the top four. The top two will be a lot harder but third and fourth places are definitely up for grabs. It's up to us to become one of the sides challenging for those places.

"Some people will say that's unrealistic but a few years ago Pompey weren't even a club on my radar and look how far we've come."

But before lofty ambition can be chased comes the test of Cardiff at Wembley on Saturday. Campbell said "The spirit here is good and we have confidence within the team. Personally, I just want to win."

Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra, meanwhile, has denied he will be moving to Tottenham in the summer.

Spurs tried to sign him in January only for Arsenal to refuse to sell him to their rivals and he went to Fratton Park instead.

It has been reported that Tottenham boss Juande Ramos will soon try to resurrect the deal but Diarra, who is focussing on joining Sol Campbell on the Wembley pitch on Saturday afternoon, said: "I can play every week with Portsmouth. It is a good team, proved by reaching the FA Cup Final, and that is why I'm here.

"I want to win something with Portsmouth and I will be here next season."