Froggatt Slams Bellamy

Last updated : 27 January 2005 By Covsupport
Former City midfielder Steve Froggatt has joined in with the condemnation of Craig Bellamy.

The midfielder who now has a lot of media work told the Sporting Life: "Bellamy has often been labelled as an arrogant and an obnoxious player and I have to agree with that description.

"I played with Craig when I was at Coventry in the 2000/01 season and he was certainly not liked in the dressing room. "When he first turned up after signing from Norwich for £6.5million he came in holding a pair of gold boots and thought he was the business.

"Our dressing room banter was quality. There was a good camaraderie, but Craig just never fitted in. The senior players took a real dislike to him. When I walked in the dressing room they were hammering him constantly.

"Coventry had sold Robbie Keane and Craig was expected to come in and do a good job, but he became injured and, in the end, he left for Newcastle in June 2001.

"Funnily enough, I was on holiday with Gary Speed at the time.
"I remember Gary, who was playing for Newcastle, getting a call from Freddie Shepherd saying Craig had signed.

"I said the Coventry chairman would be doing cartwheels at selling him for £6million. I said I would have sold him for £6.50.

"From what I gathered from Gary, he was not really liked in the Welsh dressing room either. After he left we were all expecting him to fail again at Newcastle. But then he did well and scored a lot of goals. There is no doubt he has talent, but if he is to succeed then he has to lose the arrogant streak he possesses.

"If you don't like playing in a particular position there are ways of going about it. Craig needs to take a long, hard look at himself and if he thought before acting, he would not get in the scrapes he does.

"If I was manager, I'd shove him in the reserves and teach him a lesson and if he thinks he'll put one over Souness he's got another thing coming. There will only be one winner and it won't be Craig."