Craig Bellamy was a very good footballer: quick, clinical and full of fire. He also had a temper that could go off at any moment. On a Liverpool team trip to Portugal in 2007, he attacked his own teammate, John Arne Riise, with a golf club. Yes, a golf club, on a team-bonding trip.
The Welsh striker, who also played out wide, had a career from 1996 to 2014 with Norwich City, Coventry City, Newcastle United, Celtic, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, West Ham, Manchester City and Cardiff City. Trouble followed him to most of them:
- a physical row with Newcastle manager Graeme Souness at the training ground
- being sent home from a Newcastle pre-season tour for fighting with teammates
- public fallouts with managers at almost every club he joined
How did Bellamy celebrate after the golf club row?
The incident could have finished his career. Instead, he later scored and celebrated by swinging an imaginary golf club. You could not make it up.
He was a nightmare to manage and a joy to watch, often in the same week. Only in football.
Tomorrow: number 22.
