YOU all know Craig Douglas Bellamy. He was born on Friday, 13th of July, 1979 in the city of Cardiff, Wales.
He is a 5ft 8 inch prolific striker who is also able to play out in wide positions and his transfer into Liverpool FC for the 2011/2012 season is his second spell at the club, having spent 2006/2007 season at Anfield.
The deal which took place on the 31st of August 2011 was a free transfer from Manchester City, with the experienced striker taking a substantial pay-cut to move to Anfield, penning down a two-year contract.
Despite his injury prone nature, especially his notorious record of knee injuries, he has managed to accumulate a total of thirty-two appearances, sixteen of which came from the bench. He has scored a total of nine wonderful goals and made a total of five crucial assists. His contribution to the club’s League Cup and FA Cup success has really been outstanding, with his running, vision, positioning and poaching attributes, constituting the build-up that make him a nightmare for defenders in the Premiership.
The 32 year old was instrumental in the 2-0 victory against Chelsea in November Carling Cup game at Stamford Bridge, setting up the two goals. He scored against Oldham, Bolton and Wolves. He also scored a crucial goal versus Manchester City to secure Liverpool’s place in the final of the Carling Cup. Craig scored a brace against Newcastle United in their first encounter in the Premiership this season, earning a standing ovation from the Anfield faithful and proceeded to win the Standard Chartered Player of the Month Award for December 2011.
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The Welsh International also recently set-up the winner against Liverpool’s derby rivals, Everton in the FA Cup semi-final clash, with a superb floated free-kick into the 18 yard box to create a header for Andy Carroll thereby securing a date with Chelsea on the 5th of May, 2012, at the Wembley Stadium for the finals of the FA Cup.
His first spell might not have been as successful as expected, but his second, has definitely been a revelation. For a veteran striker, who has had a lot of ups and downs in his career, life cannot be anything but marvellous, especially coming towards the concluding part of a career that has been overwhelmed with dedication and service towards the beautiful game called ‘football.’
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I love when the cameras follow Bellamy on to the pitch when he comes in as a sub. That big, mischieveous grin on his face, you can almost see him thinking “hmmmm, what can I get into first?”!