FORMER Blackburn Rovers striker DJ Campbell has been released without charge following his arrest in connection with a match fixing probe.

The 32-year-old, who left the club by mutual agreement last month, was detained by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in December after it acted on information passed to it by the Sun on Sunday newspaper.

He was released from bail alongside 12 other suspects following the collapse of X Factor judge Tulisa Consto-stalovs’ drugs trial, when the judge said there were ‘strong grounds’ to believe that undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood – known as the Fake Sheikh – had lied in the witness box.

In a statement, the NCA said: “As a result of recent adverse judicial comment during a trial where criminal proceed-ings were stayed, the NCA has decided to release from bail 13 subjects arrested in relation to a football match spot fixing investigation so that further inquiries can be undertaken.”

Campbell was under scrutiny for a yellow card he received for a tackle committed in Blackburn’s league game against Ipswich in December, the newspaper said.

Campbell, who is without a club, began his league career at Brentford and went on to play in the Premier League for Birmingham, Blackpool, and QPR.

He signed for Blackburn last July after previously joining the club on loan from QPR five months earlier. He failed to score in any of his 14 appearances before leaving last month.