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being presented to the media earlier today, striker Craig Bellamy gave
a candid insight into his footballing life and what he expects during
his time to come at Manchester City.
Speaking at the Carrington
Training Centre, the Welsh international skipper made more than a
passing reference to the image portrayed of him.
He said: “I
don’t think I’ll ever get away from that. If you ever try and ‘Google’
me then there’s plenty to not let me get away from it! If I was to ever
do a book, which obviously I won’t, but if I did the title would be;
‘Don’t Google Me.’
“I’ve been involved in incidents and I’ve
held my hand up but over the last while I’ve been in a good place. I’m
very happy and very settled.
“I’m under no illusion what a lot of
peoples’ opinion is of me. A lot of people don’t really know me or have
ever really got close to me. My team mates have, obviously and my team
mates here at Manchester City will see that, like they did at West Ham
and before that.”
Fully aware of his reputation to those
looking on from a distance, the 29-year-old backs up his point that the
City squad will see the real Craig Bellamy sooner rather than later.
“When
I come into a club I have this certain reputation and I’m sure within a
day or so my team mates will wonder what the fuss is about,” he stated.
“I enjoy training, I enjoy working hard and I love this game.
It’s an incredible job to be involved in and I’m very thankful for
that. I just try and give it all as I can.
“[Off the pitch] I’m
very private and don’t do many interviews, I try to stay away from
everything, because I want to just play football and concentrate on
that aspect. I just love playing this game and the challenge of it.”
And
of last week’s move from West Ham, Bellamy admitted: “If I sat down and
thought about it, I would regret this if I didn’t take this.
“What
happens when I see Manchester City in a year and a half’s time and I
see some tremendous players playing for this team? Maybe I’d be playing
against them thinking; ‘I could have been part of this.’
“I
couldn’t live with that, I have to test myself and this is going to be
a great test under the spotlight. The way City are going to go in the
next couple of years, to be part of this at any stage is great.”
Then
with a little glance over to his former international manager, Bellamy
added: “When I retire and I see this Club go on to win Champions
Leagues’, no pressure for the Manager, but I can say I was part of that
in the early stages. That would give me great satisfaction.”
Despite
the hype surrounding the Club and its new found status over the last
few months, Bellamy, who is set to face a former side in Newcastle
tomorrow night gave his honest assessment.
He declared: “I’ve
heard things said about Chelsea and this is a similar situation, but
this isn’t a similar situation, Chelsea were a Champions League team
when Abramovich came in. They were established right at the top.
“Manchester
City are a very good Premier League team, which they have been for a
number of years, but we need to establish ourselves in the top six.
Then you take the next step and with the financial backing the Club’s
going to have there would be no reason for it not to happen but you’ve
got to take it one step at a time.
“You’ve got to build this
Club up enough to really make a charge because you can’t do it
overnight. You can’t bring in players and then suddenly say ‘next year
we want Champions League’ because realistically it isn’t going to
happen.
“The top four teams, along with Villa having a right go,
are established so it’s up to us to basically take it one step at a
time and get involved in the top six and then with the financial
backing of the Club one or two players can come in and we can have a
right go for the Champions League places.
“Where that leaves me
then, I don’t know, but my aim at the moment is to do as well as I can
and establish this Club into the top six...then hopefully hang in when
these players come in. If they need somebody to clean their boots –
I’ll be doing that as well.”
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