Craig Bellamy - GoodFella

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Craig Bellamy - GoodFella Page 32

by Craig Bellamy


  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

 

 

 


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