Craig Bellamy

Who is Craig Bellamy?

Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Cardiff City and the Welsh national team.

Born in Cardiff, Bellamy began his career with Norwich City. He went on to play for Coventry City and Newcastle United, before spending half a season on loan at Celtic in 2005. He returned to the Premier League later that year, playing for Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, West Ham United and Manchester City.

For the 2010–11 season, Bellamy dropped down a division to the Championship in order to represent his boyhood club, Cardiff City, on a season-long loan. He moved to play at former club Liverpool the following season, before returning to Cardiff permanently. He later led Cardiff to the Premier League, the first time they had been in the top-flight for half a century.

During his career, Bellamy has won the Championship, the League Cup, the Scottish Cup and the Community Shield. He also has been a runner-up in the FA Cup and Champions League. He has been criticised for his behaviour on and off the pitch, but has accumulated millions of pounds for charity and also established a football academy in Sierra Leone.

He made his senior debut for Wales in 1998 and over the next fifteen years gained 76 caps for his country and scored 19 goals. He was the Wales captain from 2007 to 2011, when he stepped down from the role due to injuries. Bellamy retired from international football, following the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He was also a member of the Great Britain Olympic team at the 2012 Olympics in London, appearing five times and scoring once.