Bellamy in a rush to emulate idol

[Benitez]

Bellamy in rush to emulate idol

By Paul Walker

Published: 16 July 2006

 

The Wales striker Craig Bellamy has hailed his hero Ian Rush for the part he played in his £6.5m "dream move" to Liverpool.

 

Bellamy, who recently turned 27 and has scored nine goals in 35 games for his country, says Rush is his idol and he aims to live up to the faith shown in him by Liverpool and Wales' record goalscorer.

 

Bellamy, who scored on his Liverpool debut yesterday in a 2-0 friendly win at Wrexham, left Newcastle 18 months ago in acrimonious circumstances after falling out with then manager Graeme Souness.

 

The striker insists he must thank Rush for his move from Blackburn. Bellamy said: "I used to hound Rushie all the time when I was 18 and 19 and around the Welsh squad.

 

"Basically I was telling him he was my hero, and he used to say 'yeah, cheers for that'. I was just a kid at the time, but he had a big part in me joining Liverpool. He has said nice things about me in his newspaper columns - they came at the right time. I appreciate that. He was my hero and I can't thank him enough.

 

"I am following some great Welsh strikers at Liverpool, my Wales manager John Toshack and Rushie. Hopefully, if I can get anywhere near the status they both had at Anfield, then I will be more than happy. Both have played a crucial part in my career."

 

Bellamy paid tribute to another Welshman, his former international manager Mark Hughes, for the part he played in his recovery after his split from Newcastle. Bellamy said: "I am grateful to Mark Hughes and Blackburn. When I left Newcastle, I had to make sure I went to the right club.

 

"I knew Mark, and the coaches Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki from their time running Wales. They were people I trusted and they knew the situation I had just come from.

 

"Everyone at Blackburn could not do enough for me, and disappointed as I am to be leaving, it would only have been for Liverpool. They understood that."

 

Bellamy cannot wait to get started at Anfield. He said: "This is a special honour, and anyone who has supported a club and then gets the chance to play for them knows it is a surreal situation. I'm nervous. I want to be a big hit and be remembered for doing really well as a player.

 

"It's one thing coming to a club like Liverpool but another to be remembered as a really good player.

 

"A few people would question me after having five knee operations but the belief that this day would come has been my inspiration. I have spent weeks doing rehab on my own after everyone has gone home."

 

Bellamy acknowledges that he will struggle to shake off his bad-boy image. He added: "I am always going to be labelled as a player with baggage, it's one of those things. I can say, 'look, I'm a really nice guy' but people will say what they want to say.

 

"All I can do is try as hard as I can to improve, the only thing I care about is to try to make my team better and how I work around the training ground. What I am missing is trophies and that is what I aim to put right here. Otherwise it will all be a bit of a failure."

 

Indy Article

Edited July 16, 2006 by Benitez

[Crazy Horse]

lol - hope Dean Saunders reads this.

 

"I am following some great Welsh strikers at Liverpool, my Wales manager John Toshack and Rushie."

[Benitez]

lol - hope Dean Saunders reads this.

 

"I am following some great Welsh strikers at Liverpool, my Wales manager John Toshack and Rushie."

 

hehe

 

he's right tho aint he! Dean Saunders certainly ain't a great Welsh striker

 

I love how he says he used to hound Rushie!

 

Craig Bellamy = Ian Rush stalker

[JohnnyH]

Didn't realise he had had 5 knee operations. Hopefully that's all behind him.

[cymrococh]

That's just a collection of quotes from various articles on the official site.

[Earl Hafler]

It still looks strange seeing him as a Red. It will take some getting used to for me.

[dyl]

It still looks strange seeing him as a Red. It will take some getting used to for me.

He seems to be saying all the right things so far though - could prove to be another major Rafa masterstroke I reckon.

[Swagger]

He seems to be saying all the right things so far though - could prove to be another major Rafa masterstroke I reckon.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

Seems he has sorted himself out now.

[drdooom]

He's seemed to be a bit of a g******* but falling out with Souness isn't something I'd hold against him tbh.

[Earl Hafler]

He seems to be saying all the right things so far though - could prove to be another major Rafa masterstroke I reckon.

 

Could be !

 

He's seemed to be a bit of a g******* but falling out with Souness isn't something I'd hold against him tbh.

 

Agreed but i don't think it was just Souness. Bellamy was a mouthy little t**t who appeared to think that football owed him something.

[Benitez]

Could be !

Agreed but i don't think it was just Souness. Bellamy was a mouthy little t**t who appeared to think that football owed him something.

 

 

it was mainly Souness, recently I'm sure there where others before tho!

 

But O'Neill, Toshack, Mark Hughes - all managers that had no problems with him recently. And managers who've spoken well of him.