Craig Bellamy facts for kids
Bellamy attending a Cardiff City match in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 July 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||
| Height | 1.75 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Wales (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988–1990 | Bristol Rovers | ||
| 1990–1996 | Norwich City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–2000 | Norwich City | 84 | (32) |
| 2000–2001 | Coventry City | 34 | (6) |
| 2001–2005 | Newcastle United | 93 | (28) |
| 2005 | → Celtic (loan) | 12 | (7) |
| 2005–2006 | Blackburn Rovers | 27 | (13) |
| 2006–2007 | Liverpool | 27 | (7) |
| 2007–2009 | West Ham United | 24 | (7) |
| 2009–2011 | Manchester City | 40 | (12) |
| 2010–2011 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 35 | (11) |
| 2011–2012 | Liverpool | 27 | (6) |
| 2012–2014 | Cardiff City | 55 | (6) |
| Total | 458 | (135) | |
| National team | |||
| 1995–1997 | Wales U18 | 9 | (6) |
| 1997–1998 | Wales U21 | 8 | (1) |
| 1998–2013 | Wales | 78 | (19) |
| 2012 | Great Britain Olympic | 5 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2021 | Anderlecht (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2024 | Burnley (assistant) | ||
| 2024– | Wales | ||
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Craig Douglas Bellamy (born 13 July 1979) is a Welsh football coach and former professional player. He played as a forward. Today, he is the head coach of the Wales national team.
Bellamy was born in Cardiff, Wales. He started his professional career with Norwich City in 1996. In 2000, he joined Premier League team Coventry City. He later played for Newcastle United, helping them finish in the top four twice. In 2005, he went on loan to Celtic and won the Scottish Cup.
He then played for Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool. With Liverpool, he reached the 2007 UEFA Champions League final. After playing for West Ham United and Manchester City, he joined his hometown club Cardiff City on loan in 2010. He returned to Liverpool in 2011, winning the League Cup. Bellamy rejoined Cardiff City permanently in 2012. He helped them get promoted to the Premier League. He retired from playing in 2014.
Bellamy played for Wales at different youth levels. In 1998, at 18, he made his senior debut for Wales. He played 78 games for his country and scored 19 goals. He was the captain of the team from 2007 to 2011. He also played for the Great Britain Olympic team at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Outside of football, Bellamy has supported several charities. He even started his own charity, The Craig Bellamy Foundation, in Sierra Leone. This foundation helped provide schooling and football coaching to children who needed it.
Contents
Early Life and Football Dreams
Craig Douglas Bellamy was born in Cardiff, Wales, on 13 July 1979. He was the second of three boys. His family lived in a working-class area called Splott. His mother worked as a cleaner, and his father worked at a steel factory.
Craig spent many school holidays at his grandmother's house. He has asthma and often visited the hospital as a child. When he was five, his family moved to Trowbridge.
His father loved football and supported Cardiff City. Craig's first time seeing a professional football game was a Cardiff match in 1987. He loved playing football in ABC Park near his home with his older brother and friends. Playing against older kids helped him become a better player quickly.
He joined his school football team at age seven. A local team, Pentwyn Dynamo, was interested in him. But they thought he was too small. So, his father helped him form a new team, Caer Castell FC. Craig scored all four goals in their first game! He later played for Cardiff Schools. He left school without any GCSEs.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out: Bristol Rovers and Norwich City
Bellamy first joined Bristol Rovers at nine years old. He was spotted by a former player. He spent two years there. Then, a scout from Norwich City noticed him. Norwich invited him for a trial. He did well and joined their youth team.
At 15, Bellamy moved away from Cardiff to start his youth training with Norwich. He found his first year away from home very hard. He often felt homesick. He was assigned to a senior player, John Polston, to do tasks like cleaning boots.
A big moment for Bellamy was when his girlfriend, Claire, became pregnant. He said this made him more determined to become a professional footballer. He signed his first professional contract with Norwich at 16.
He made his professional debut for Norwich on 15 March 1997. He was 17 years old. It was a game against Crystal Palace. He played only a few minutes. He scored his first senior goal on 1 November 1997 against Bury. He finished his first full season with 13 goals. He mostly played as a central midfielder.
Bellamy was not afraid to speak his mind to older players. This sometimes annoyed his teammates. But he found support from Peter Grant. In 1998, Bruce Rioch became Norwich manager. He moved Bellamy to play as an attacker. Bellamy scored seven goals in his first eight games in this new role. This included his first hat-trick against Queens Park Rangers.
In December 1998, Bellamy injured his left knee. He was out for two months. The injury was caused by a challenge from a Wolverhampton Wanderers player. He ended that season with 19 goals. Before the next season, he tore a ligament in his knee. This meant he was out for six to eight months. He returned in April 2000.
Moving On: Coventry City
Coventry City offered £6 million to sign Bellamy. Norwich accepted. Bellamy preferred to join Newcastle United. But he felt pressured and agreed to join Coventry. He became Coventry's most expensive player ever.
He made his Premier League debut on 16 August 2000. He scored his first goal for them in the next game. However, he had a tough start. He scored only three league goals by December. Coventry was relegated at the end of the season. Bellamy scored eight goals in 39 games for Coventry. He later said he never enjoyed his time there.
Success at Newcastle United
Coventry sold Bellamy to Newcastle United for £6.5 million. Newcastle manager Bobby Robson called Bellamy "a great player." Bellamy made his Newcastle debut in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. He scored his first goal for them in the second game.
He scored his first Premier League goal for Newcastle against Sunderland. Two weeks later, he scored a hat-trick in the League Cup. Bellamy and Alan Shearer formed a strong attacking team. They scored 41 goals together in Bellamy's first year. Bellamy won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Bellamy had more knee problems. He missed many games. In 2003, he was advised to have knee surgery. But he delayed it to play for Wales. This made Newcastle's chairman angry. Bellamy eventually had the surgery. He returned to play well, scoring seven goals in two months.
Challenges at Newcastle and Loan to Celtic
In 2004, Graeme Souness became Newcastle's manager. He and Bellamy often disagreed. Bellamy was left out of a game. Souness said it was due to injury, but Bellamy said he was ready to play. Bellamy accused Souness of lying. Souness said Bellamy would never play for Newcastle again while he was manager. Bellamy was fined. He left Newcastle with 42 goals in 128 games.
On 31 January 2005, Bellamy joined Celtic on loan. He made his debut against Rangers. He scored his first goal for Celtic the next week. He scored a hat-trick against Dundee United. He also scored against Rangers in a big win. Celtic lost the league title on the last day. But Bellamy won his first major trophy, the Scottish Cup, with Celtic.
Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool
Bellamy signed for Blackburn Rovers. His former Wales coach, Mark Hughes, was the manager. Bellamy said Hughes helped him get his career back on track. He scored 17 goals for Rovers in the 2005–06 season. Blackburn finished sixth in the Premier League. Bellamy won the club's Player of the Year award.
On 20 June 2006, Liverpool offered £6 million for Bellamy. As a childhood fan, Bellamy called the move "a dream." He even took a pay cut to join. He scored on his debut for Liverpool. He also helped set up a winning goal in the 2006 FA Community Shield.
In February 2007, Bellamy had an argument with teammate John Arne Riise. Bellamy later apologized. In the next game, a Champions League match against Barcelona, Bellamy scored and celebrated by pretending to swing a golf club. Liverpool reached the Champions League final but lost to A.C. Milan.
West Ham, Manchester City, and Cardiff Loan
Bellamy moved to West Ham United in 2007 for £7.5 million. This was a club record fee at the time. Injuries affected his time there. In January 2009, he joined Manchester City for about £14 million. He reunited with his former manager, Mark Hughes.
He scored on his Manchester City debut. He had some disagreements with other players. In August 2010, Bellamy was left out of Manchester City's team. He then trained with Cardiff City.
On 17 August 2010, Bellamy joined Cardiff City on a season-long loan. He became the team captain. He scored a great goal on his debut. Injuries continued to bother him. He often rested his knee after games. He scored the winning goal in the South Wales derby against Swansea City. Bellamy helped Cardiff push for promotion. He hoped to stay with Cardiff.
Return to Liverpool and Cardiff City
Bellamy returned to Liverpool in 2011. He reached an agreement with Manchester City to leave for free. He was happy to return to Liverpool, especially with Kenny Dalglish as manager. He scored his first goal back at Liverpool in the League Cup.
He played an important role for Liverpool. He helped them win the League Cup in 2012. He also helped them reach the FA Cup final, which they lost.
On 10 August 2012, Bellamy rejoined Cardiff City permanently. He signed a two-year deal. He took time off early in the season for personal and injury reasons. He returned and helped Cardiff win games. On 16 April 2013, Cardiff secured promotion to the Premier League. This was a dream come true for Bellamy.
In the 2013–14 Premier League season, Bellamy scored against Norwich City. This made him the first player to score for seven different clubs in the Premier League. He played 22 league games that season before retiring in 2014.
International Career for Wales
Youth and Senior Debut
Bellamy first played for Wales as a schoolboy in 1994. He moved through the under-17 and under-18 teams. At 16, he became the youngest player to play for the under-21 team.
In 1998, Bobby Gould called Bellamy up to the senior Wales squad. Bellamy made his international debut on 25 March 1998, at 18. It was a friendly game against Jamaica. He scored his first international goal on 3 June 1998 against Malta.
Under manager Mark Hughes, Wales' performance improved. They had a strong qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2004. On 16 October 2002, Wales beat Italy 2–1. Bellamy scored the winning goal. Wales finished second in their group. They reached a playoff match against Russia. Bellamy missed both games due to injury. Wales lost and did not qualify.
Captaincy and Retirement
In October 2006, John Toshack made Bellamy captain for a game. Four days later, Bellamy scored and assisted in a 3–1 win against Cyprus. When Ryan Giggs retired from international football in 2007, Bellamy became the permanent captain.
In December 2010, Gary Speed, Bellamy's former teammate, became Wales manager. Bellamy planned to retire from international football due to knee problems. But Speed convinced him to continue. Bellamy stepped down as captain because of his fitness. He suggested Aaron Ramsey as the new captain.
Bellamy continued to play for Wales under new manager Chris Coleman. He announced his retirement from international football in October 2013. His last game for Wales was a 1–1 draw against Belgium. He finished his international career with 78 games and 19 goals.
Playing for Great Britain
In June 2012, Bellamy was chosen to play for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was one of three older players allowed on the team. On 26 July, Bellamy scored Great Britain's first Olympic goal since 1960. It was in a 1–1 draw with Senegal.
He helped set up a goal in a 3–1 win against the United Arab Emirates. Bellamy was named Great Britain's captain for their final group game. They won 1–0 against Uruguay. Great Britain reached the quarter-finals but lost to South Korea in a penalty shootout.
Playing Style
Bellamy was known for his fast and energetic style of play. He started as a central midfielder. But he moved to play as a winger and a centre-forward. He liked playing in counter-attacking teams. His speed helped him get behind defenders.
His former manager, Mark Hughes, said he loved having Bellamy on his teams. He praised Bellamy's "intensity" and "desire." Bellamy was sometimes seen as difficult to work with. But Hughes said if you understood him, he would play his heart out.
Bellamy's career was often affected by injuries. These injuries limited how much he could train and play. As he got older, his speed decreased. But he was still praised for his "leadership, drive, energy, work-rate."
Coaching Career
After retiring, Bellamy returned to Cardiff as a volunteer academy coach. In 2016, he became Cardiff's player development manager. He oversaw all youth teams. In 2018, he was considered for the manager job at Oxford United. But he withdrew his application.
In January 2019, he stepped down from his coaching role at Cardiff. He needed to defend himself against a claim. An investigation found that he had created an "unacceptable coaching environment." He issued an apology.
In June 2019, Bellamy joined Anderlecht in Belgium. He became the under-21 team coach. He later worked as an assistant coach. In September 2021, he stepped down due to mental health issues. In July 2022, he rejoined Burnley as a first-team coach.
On 30 May 2024, Bellamy became the acting head coach for Burnley. On 9 July 2024, he was appointed as the head coach of the Wales national team. He became the first Wales manager to remain unbeaten in his first four matches.
Personal Life and Charity Work
Bellamy is a big fan of both Liverpool and Cardiff City. He met his wife, Claire Jansen, when they were teenagers in Cardiff. They had their first child, Ellis, when Bellamy was 17. Claire and Ellis stayed in Cardiff while Bellamy played for Norwich. They later had two more children, Cameron and Lexi.
Bellamy and Claire got married in June 2006. They divorced in December 2012. Bellamy said the split happened because his wife was tired of moving and his busy football life.
In 2013, Bellamy released his autobiography called GoodFella. In the book, he shared that he suffered from depression. This was especially true when he was injured and couldn't play.
Bellamy is a fan of mixed martial arts. He has sponsored fighters and owns a gym.
Helping Others
In 2007, Bellamy visited Sierra Leone. He saw how difficult life was for many people there. He decided to start a charity. On 6 May 2008, The Craig Bellamy Foundation was announced. Bellamy spent £1.4 million of his own money to build a football academy. It was in the village of Tombo. Boys received a good education and football coaching for free.
The foundation also ran a youth league with UNICEF. This league helped children play football and encouraged them to attend school. It also funded school fees. The league stopped in 2017 due to financial issues.
Bellamy also supports Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales. He became a charity champion for them in 2010.
Financial Challenges
In April 2023, Bellamy shared that he had become bankrupt. This was due to failed investments made on his behalf.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Norwich City | 1996–97 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | First Division | 36 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 13 | ||
| 1998–99 | First Division | 40 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 45 | 19 | ||
| 1999–2000 | First Division | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 84 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 34 | ||
| Coventry City | 2000–01 | Premier League | 34 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 39 | 8 | |
| Newcastle United | 2001–02 | Premier League | 27 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 14 |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 29 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 36 | 9 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 24 | 10 | |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 21 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 29 | 10 | |
| Total | 127 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 11 | 167 | 51 | ||
| Celtic (loan) | 2004–05 | Scottish Premier League | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 9 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2005–06 | Premier League | 27 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 32 | 17 | |
| Liverpool | 2006–07 | Premier League | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 41 | 9 |
| West Ham United | 2007–08 | Premier League | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | 9 | 4 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 5 | ||
| Total | 90 | 34 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 114 | 44 | ||
| Manchester City | 2008–09 | Premier League | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 4 |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 32 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 40 | 11 | ||
| Total | 40 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 51 | 15 | ||
| Cardiff City (loan) | 2010–11 | Championship | 35 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 35 | 11 | |
| Liverpool | 2011–12 | Premier League | 27 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 36 | 9 | |
| Cardiff City | 2012–13 | Championship | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 2 | ||
| Total | 117 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 126 | 26 | ||
| Career total | 458 | 135 | 19 | 7 | 32 | 13 | 40 | 15 | 549 | 170 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 1998 | 4 | 2 |
| 1999 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2008 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 78 | 19 | |
- Scores and results list Wales' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bellamy goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 June 1998 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard, Malta |  Malta |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 10 October 1998 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark |  Denmark |
2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2000 Qual. |
| 3 | 5 September 2001 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Norway |
2–1 | 2–3 | 2002 World Cup Qual. |
| 4 | 13 February 2002 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Argentina |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 16 October 2002 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Italy |
2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2004 Qual. |
| 6 | 29 March 2003 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Azerbaijan |
1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 Qual. |
| 7 | 18 August 2004 | Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia |  Latvia |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 9 February 2005 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Hungary |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 2–0 | |||||
| 10 | 11 October 2006 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Cyprus |
3–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qual. |
| 11 | 14 November 2006 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales |  Liechtenstein |
3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 12 | 26 May 2007 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales |  New Zealand |
1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 13 | 2–2 | |||||
| 14 | 12 September 2007 | Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, Slovakia |  Slovakia |
2–1 | 5–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qual. |
| 15 | 3–1 | |||||
| 16 | 19 November 2008 | Brøndby Stadium, Brøndby, Denmark | Denmark |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 17 | 10 October 2009 | Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland |  Finland |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2010 World Cup Qual. |
| 18 | 11 August 2010 | Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, Wales |  Luxembourg |
5–1 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 19 | 12 November 2011 | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | Norway |
2–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Wales |  |
9 July 2024 | Present | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 50.00 |
| Total | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 50.00 | |||
Honours and Awards
Celtic
- Scottish Cup: 2004–05
Liverpool
- Football League Cup: 2011–12
- FA Community Shield: 2006
- FA Cup runner-up: 2011–12
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2006–07
Cardiff City
- Football League Championship: 2012–13
Individual
- PFA Young Player of the Year Award: 2001–02
- Blackburn Rovers Player of the Season: 2005–06
- Welsh Footballer of the Year Award: 2007
- Premier League Goal of the Month: April 2006, September 2009
Images for kids
-
Bellamy playing for Cardiff in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Craig Bellamy para niños
