Now I can be a better influence around people. Before, because I felt like shit, I wanted to make everyone else feel like shit, too. Now, if I am in a mood, I can get myself out of it. If I’m in a strop, I think of things that make me happy. Making someone else feel better about themselves makes me feel better, too. Like I said, I feel like I am becoming a functioning human being for the first time for a long time.
I am opening myself up again. That process of shutting myself down emotionally that I forced myself to endure after I moved away from home as a teenager – that’s over now. I am starting to reverse it. I have become a lot closer to my parents again. I have allowed people back into my life. After Speedo died, I only saw emptiness ahead. Now I feel differently.
There’s not a single day that goes by when I don’t think about Speedo. Every time I play, I think about him. Why wouldn’t I? He’s still helping me, even though he’s not here. His death forced me to take a look at myself. If I hadn’t done that, I don’t know what would have happened.
I’ve always listened to people talking about winning – win this, win that – but I’ve done more than I could have dreamed of in my career. I’ve already won. The two things I ask my kids after they have played a game are ‘did you enjoy it’ and ‘did you do your best’ but I wasn’t asking myself the same questions.
I think differently now. Be thankful for what you’ve done. Keep trying hard. And don’t let it ruin your life.
I did that for too long.
31
The Statistics
Professional Club Career 1996-2013
NORWICH CITY
August 1996-August 2000
COVENTRY CITY
August 2000-June 2001
NEWCASTLE UNITED
June 2001-July 2005
CELTIC
Loan
January 2005-May 2005
BLACKBURN ROVERS
July 2005-June 2006
LIVERPOOL
June 2006-July 2007
WEST HAM UNITED
July 2007-January 2009
MANCHESTER CITY
January 2009-August 2011
CARDIFF CITY
Loan
August 2010-May 2011
LIVERPOOL
August 2011-August 2012
CARDIFF CITY
August 2012-
Club Season by Season (appearances/goals)
1996-97 – NORWICH CITY
3 Appearances, 0 Goals
1997-98 – NORWICH CITY
37 Appearances, 13 Goals
1998-99 – NORWICH CITY
45 Appearances, 19 Goals
1999-00 – NORWICH CITY
4 Appearances, 2 Goals
2000-01 – NORWICH CITY
1 Appearances, 0 Goals
2000-01 – COVENTRY CITY
39 Appearances, 8 Goals
2001-02 – NEWCASTLE UNITED
36 Appearances, 14 Goals
2002-03 – NEWCASTLE UNITED
36 Appearances, 9 Goals
2003-04 – NEWCASTLE UNITED
24 Appearances, 9 Goals
2004-05 – NEWCASTLE UNITED
29 Appearances, 10 Goals
2004-05 – CELTIC
15 Appearances, 9 Goals
2005-06 – BLACKBURN ROVERS
32 Appearances, 17 Goals
2006-07 – LIVERPOOL
42 Appearances, 9 Goals
2007-08 – WEST HAM UNITED
9 Appearances, 4 Goals
2008-09 – WEST HAM UNITED
17 Appearances, 5 Goals
2008-09 – MANCHESTER CITY
11 Appearances, 4 Goals
2009-10 – MANCHESTER CITY
40 Appearances, 11 Goals
2010-11 – CARDIFF CITY
36 Appearances, 11 Goals
2011-12 – LIVERPOOL
37 Appearances, 9 Goals
2012-13 – CARDIFF CITY
33 Appearances, 4 Goals
Wales Season by Season (Appearances/goals)
1997-98
3 Appearances, 1 Goal
1998-99
4 Appearances, 1 Goal
1999-00
2 Appearances, 0 Goals
2000-01
3 Appearances, 0 Goals
2001-02
4 Appearances, 2 Goals
2002-03
4 Appearances, 2 Goals
2003-04
5 Appearances, 0 Goals
2004-05
8 Appearances, 3 Goals
2005-06
2 Appearances, 0 Goals
2006-07
11 Appearances, 4 Goals
2007-08
5 Appearances, 2 Goals
2008-09
5 Appearances, 1 Goal
2009-10
2 Appearances, 1 Goal
2010-11
4 Appearances, 1 Goal
2011-12
7 Appearances, 1 Goal
2012-13
4 Appearances, 0 Goals
Wales Under-21s
8 Appearances, 1 Goals
Wales Under-18s
9 Appearances, 6 Goals
Team GB 2012 Olympics (Appearances/goals)
20/07/12
GB & NI 0-2 Brazil (Olympics warm-up)
26/07/12
GB & NI 1-1 Senegal (1 goal)
29/07/12
GB & NI 3-1 UAE
01/08/12
GB & NI 1-0 Uruguay
04/08/12
GB & NI 1-1 South Korea, aet (4-5 pens)
TOTAL:
5 caps, 1 goal
Individual Honours
2001/02
PFA Young Player of the Year
2004/05
Scottish Cup Winner
2005/06
Player of the Year (Blackburn Rovers)
2006
FA Community Shield
2006/07
Champions League runner-up
2007
Welsh Player of the Year
2011/12
League Cup
2011/12
FA Cup runner-up
2012/13
Championship winner
Personal Landmarks
15/03/97
FIRST-TEAM DEBUT:
Crystal Palace 2-0 Norwich City
12/08/97:
LEAGUE CUP DEBUT:
Norwich City 2-1 Barnet
01/11/97
FIRST GOAL:
Norwich City 2-2 Bury
03/01/98
FA CUP DEBUT:
Grimsby Town 3-0 Norwich City
25/03/98
WALES DEBUT:
Wales 0-0 Jamaica
04/06/98
FIRST WALES GOAL:
Malta 0-3 Wales
11/08/98
FIRST LEAGUE CUP GOAL:
Swansea City 1-1 Norwich City
22/08/98
FIRST HAT-TRICK:
Norwich City 4-2 QPR
19/08/00
PREMIER LEAGUE DEBUT:
Coventry City 1-3 Middlesbrough
23/08/00
FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL:
Southampton 1-2 Coventry City
06/01/01
FIRST FA CUP GOAL:
Swindon Town 0-2 Coventry
14/07/01
EUROPEAN DEBUT:
Lokeren 0-4 Newcastle United
21/07/01:
FIRST NEWCASTLE GOAL:
Newcastle United 1-0 Lokeren
18/09/02:
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DEBUT:
Dynamo Kiev 2-0 Newcastle United
20/02/05:
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE DEBUT:
Celtic 0-2 Rangers
27/02/05:
FIRST CELTIC GOAL:
Clyde 0-5 Celtic (Scottish Cup)
19/03/05:
FIRST CELTIC HAT-TRICK:
Dundee United 2-3 Celtic
28/05/05:
FIRST CUP FINAL:
Celtic 1-0 Dundee United (Scottish Cup final)
21/09/05:
FIRST BLACKBURN ROVERS GOAL:
Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Huddersfield Town (2 goals)
09/08/06
FIRST LIVERPOOL GOAL:
Liverpool 2-1 Maccabi Haifa – on debut
28/08/07
FIRST WEST HAM UNITED GOAL:
Bristol Rovers 1-2 West Ham United (2 goals)
28/01/09:
FIRST MANCHESTER CITY GOAL:
Manchester City 2-1 Newcastle United – on debut.
Becomes only the fifth player in Premier League
history to score for six different top-flight clubs
21/08/10:
FIRST CARDIFF CITY GOAL:
Cardiff City 4-0 Doncaster Rovers – on debut, as captain
26/02/12:
MAN OF THE MATCH:
LC final, Liverpool 2-2 Cardiff City, aet (won 3-2 on pens)
32
The Craig Bellamy Foundation (CBF) is a charity that offers underprivileged children in Sierra Leone the chance to reach their true potential through sport and education, enabling them to build a better life for themselves and their communities. It focuses on personal and community development, running a not-for-profit football academy and a national youth football league, developed with support from UNICEF.
The aim is to build a better future for Sierra Leone by offering children the opportunity to reach their full potential by playing the sport that they love. CBF harnesses this passion for football and uses it to promote healthy choices, education for all, peace building, gender equality and sustainable development.
For more information, log on to
www.craigbellamyfoundation.org
Craig Bellamy - GoodFella Page 32
