By . Matt Lawton . Follow @@Matt_Lawton_DM . Craig Bellamy would be the first to admit there were times in his career as a footballer when he was utterly dislikeable. He was talented, of course, the success he enjoyed in tandem with Alan Shearer at Newcastle earning him the PFA’s young player of the year award in 2002. But Shearer also found him irritating — extremely irritating. In fairness to Bellamy, he wasn’t too fond of himself either at times, to the point — as he said in his quite brilliant autobiography where he struggled to watch a recording of himself playing football. ‘I hate it,’ he says. ‘I hate watching how I confront the referee. I don’t like that side of me.’ Game over: Cardiff forward has announced his retirement from football aged 34 . Fans' favourite: Bellamy, pictured here playing for Wales against Macedonia, represented his country on 78 occasions . Danger man: Bellamy celebrates scoring against Aston Villa for Manchester City in October, 2009 . In a senior career that spanned 18 years and nine clubs, among them Manchester City, Liverpool, Celtic and his beloved Cardiff City, controversy was too often his companion. When he tells the story of attacking John Arne Riise with an eight iron, he sounds like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas; Goodfella rather curiously also being the title of Bellamy’s book. It was, he concedes, the behaviour of a ‘madman’, someone who rather disturbingly concluded that he had been ‘disrespected’ in front of his team-mates because Riise responded to persistent requests to sing a song one night during a training camp in Portugal by  losing his rag and saying no. There was no insult. The Norwegian said he had ‘simply had enough’ of Bellamy ‘banging on about it’. Bellamy stopped short of pulling out a revolver and shooting Riise there and then. But he did go to his room later that evening and whack him with the golf club before issuing a few threats of what might also be coming his way should he complain to the Liverpool management. Bellamy at least deserves credit for the honest account he provides of the incident, coupled with the following admission: ‘I look back at what I did now and I cringe. It was pathetic. It was drunken,  bullying behaviour.’ With the help of Steve Peters, the much-respected sports psychiatrist, the combustible Bellamy has worked hard to reform. But beyond focusing on the fall-outs and football, on the 135 goals he scored in 452 league appearances, we should perhaps trust the judgment of those who know Bellamy best. Back of the net: Bellamy scores one of his 169 career goals for Newcastle against Everton . Dream come true: Bellamy shows off his Cardiff shirt after signing for the Welsh side on loan in August, 2010 . Back again: Bellamy enjoyed two spells at Liverpool during his 18 years as a professional . Clubs                                 Games  GoalsNorwich (1996-00)                  91        34Coventry (2000-01)                39         8Newcastle (2001-05)             128        43Celtic (loan, 2005)                  15         9Blackburn (2005-06)              32         17Liverpool (2006-07)                41         9West Ham (2007-09)              26          9Man City (2009-11)                 51        15Cardiff (loan, 2010-11)            35        11Liverpool (2011-12)                33         9Cardiff (2012-14)                    52         5Total                                       543      169 . Country                              Games  GoalsWales                                      78        19 . You can certainly judge a man by the company he keeps and among his best friends in football are  Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. And few players were as close as Bellamy to the late Gary Speed, as classy a man as you could wish to meet in football. Gerrard, together with Mark Hughes, wrote the foreword to Bellamy’s book. On hearing that Bellamy was joining Liverpool in 2006, Gerrard said he was expecting a ‘bit of a hothead’ and ‘someone who was more interested in being a footballer rather than actually living like one’. But Gerrard’s view changed once he got to know Bellamy. ‘I was totally wrong,’ he admitted. ‘It surprised me how professional he was and how much he loved the game. He ended up being a terrific ally for me at Liverpool as well as becoming a good friend.’ The sentiment is echoed by Carragher. ‘He is right up there with the best Welsh players of his generation and beyond,’ Carragher wrote in these pages. ‘He expects the highest standards from those around him and certainly isn’t afraid to say if he feels someone has fallen short. ‘He had problems with certain players and managers during his career because of his character but I loved him.’ Bellamy loved Speed, and the death of . the Wales manager had a profound effect on him. It made him re-evaluate . his life and seek the help of Peters, a man he credits with making him . the person he is, someone who feels equipped to pursue a career in . management. Experienced: Bellamy celebrates scoring for Team GB against Senegal at the 2012 Olympic Games . Early days: Bellamy, pictured here tussling with West Ham's Nigel Winterburn, joined Coventry in 2000 . In the swing: Bellamy celebrates a goal for Liverpool against Barcelona with a golf-themed celebration in 2007 . ‘When I started talking to Steve Peters in the aftermath of Speedo’s death, I thought my life wasn’t going to get better when I finished playing football. My life was going to be dark. ‘If I hadn’t started seeing Steve, if I hadn’t begun to change, my people skills — or lack of them —would have destroyed my chances of being a successful manager.’ On the last page of his book, he writes of how Speed’s death forced him to look at himself. ‘If I hadn’t done that, I don’t know what would have happened,’ he says. Most moving, however, are the final few lines. ‘I think differently now,’ he says. ‘Be thankful for what you’ve done. Keep trying hard. And don’t ruin your life. I did that for too long.’ Even now, there are episodes that will make him reflect and cringe. But he should listen to his peers and, indeed, be thankful for what he did on a football pitch. On Gary Speed's death . 'Speedo was my idol. He was everything I tried to become. The tears started to fall. I knew it was real then. I just broke down.' On his anger issues . 'People say "If you take the anger out of Bellamy he wouldn’t be half the player". It’s b*******. I’dbe a better player.' On investing £1.4million in his Sierra Leone foundation . 'I wanted to give them an opportunity in life, not just in football. I wanted to do something for the country.' On attacking John Arne Riise . 'I just whacked him across the backside with the golf club. You couldn’t call it a swing.'
Bellamy has announced his retirement at the age of 34 .
Striker played for clubs including Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham .
Welshman admits he was not proud of himself during his early career .
Bellamy worked with psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters to turn his life around .
By . Matt Lawton . Follow @@Matt_Lawton_DM . Craig Bellamy would be the first to admit there were times in his career as a footballer when he was utterly dislikeable. He was talented, of course, the success he enjoyed in tandem with Alan Shearer at Newcastle earning him the PFA’s young player of the year award in 2002. But Shearer also found him irritating — extremely irritating. In fairness to Bellamy, he wasn’t too fond of himself either at times, to the point — as he said in his quite brilliant autobiography where he struggled to watch a recording of himself playing football. ‘I hate it,’ he says. ‘I hate watching how I confront the referee. I don’t like that side of me.’ Game over: Cardiff forward has announced his retirement from football aged 34 . Fans' favourite: Bellamy, pictured here playing for Wales against Macedonia, represented his country on 78 occasions . Danger man: Bellamy celebrates scoring against Aston Villa for Manchester City in October, 2009 . In a senior career that spanned 18 years and nine clubs, among them Manchester City, Liverpool, Celtic and his beloved Cardiff City, controversy was too often his companion. When he tells the story of attacking John Arne Riise with an eight iron, he sounds like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas; Goodfella rather curiously also being the title of Bellamy’s book. It was, he concedes, the behaviour of a ‘madman’, someone who rather disturbingly concluded that he had been ‘disrespected’ in front of his team-mates because Riise responded to persistent requests to sing a song one night during a training camp in Portugal by  losing his rag and saying no. There was no insult. The Norwegian said he had ‘simply had enough’ of Bellamy ‘banging on about it’. Bellamy stopped short of pulling out a revolver and shooting Riise there and then. But he did go to his room later that evening and whack him with the golf club before issuing a few threats of what might also be coming his way should he complain to the Liverpool management. Bellamy at least deserves credit for the honest account he provides of the incident, coupled with the following admission: ‘I look back at what I did now and I cringe. It was pathetic. It was drunken,  bullying behaviour.’ With the help of Steve Peters, the much-respected sports psychiatrist, the combustible Bellamy has worked hard to reform. But beyond focusing on the fall-outs and football, on the 135 goals he scored in 452 league appearances, we should perhaps trust the judgment of those who know Bellamy best. Back of the net: Bellamy scores one of his 169 career goals for Newcastle against Everton . Dream come true: Bellamy shows off his Cardiff shirt after signing for the Welsh side on loan in August, 2010 . Back again: Bellamy enjoyed two spells at Liverpool during his 18 years as a professional . Clubs                                 Games GoalsNorwich (1996-00)                  91 34Coventry (2000-01)                39 8Newcastle (2001-05)             128 43Celtic (loan, 2005)                  15 9Blackburn (2005-06)              32 17Liverpool (2006-07)                41 9West Ham (2007-09)              26          9Man City (2009-11)                 51 15Cardiff (loan, 2010-11)            35 11Liverpool (2011-12)                33 9Cardiff (2012-14)                    52 5Total 543      169 . Country                              Games GoalsWales 78        19 . You can certainly judge a man by the company he keeps and among his best friends in football are  Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. And few players were as close as Bellamy to the late Gary Speed, as classy a man as you could wish to meet in football. Gerrard, together with Mark Hughes, wrote the foreword to Bellamy’s book. On hearing that Bellamy was joining Liverpool in 2006, Gerrard said he was expecting a ‘bit of a hothead’ and ‘someone who was more interested in being a footballer rather than actually living like one’. But Gerrard’s view changed once he got to know Bellamy. ‘I was totally wrong,’ he admitted. ‘It surprised me how professional he was and how much he loved the game. He ended up being a terrific ally for me at Liverpool as well as becoming a good friend.’ The sentiment is echoed by Carragher. ‘He is right up there with the best Welsh players of his generation and beyond,’ Carragher wrote in these pages. ‘He expects the highest standards from those around him and certainly isn’t afraid to say if he feels someone has fallen short. ‘He had problems with certain players and managers during his career because of his character but I loved him.’ Bellamy loved Speed, and the death of . the Wales manager had a profound effect on him. It made him re-evaluate . his life and seek the help of Peters, a man he credits with making him . the person he is, someone who feels equipped to pursue a career in . management. Experienced: Bellamy celebrates scoring for Team GB against Senegal at the 2012 Olympic Games . Early days: Bellamy, pictured here tussling with West Ham's Nigel Winterburn, joined Coventry in 2000 . In the swing: Bellamy celebrates a goal for Liverpool against Barcelona with a golf-themed celebration in 2007 . ‘When I started talking to Steve Peters in the aftermath of Speedo’s death, I thought my life wasn’t going to get better when I finished playing football. My life was going to be dark. ‘If I hadn’t started seeing Steve, if I hadn’t begun to change, my people skills — or lack of them —would have destroyed my chances of being a successful manager.’ On the last page of his book, he writes of how Speed’s death forced him to look at himself. ‘If I hadn’t done that, I don’t know what would have happened,’ he says. Most moving, however, are the final few lines. ‘I think differently now,’ he says. ‘Be thankful for what you’ve done. Keep trying hard. And don’t ruin your life. I did that for too long.’ Even now, there are episodes that will make him reflect and cringe. But he should listen to his peers and, indeed, be thankful for what he did on a football pitch. On Gary Speed's death . 'Speedo was my idol. He was everything I tried to become. The tears started to fall. I knew it was real then. I just broke down.' On his anger issues . 'People say "If you take the anger out of Bellamy he wouldn’t be half the player". It’s b*******. I’dbe a better player.' On investing £1.4million in his Sierra Leone foundation . 'I wanted to give them an opportunity in life, not just in football. I wanted to do something for the country.' On attacking John Arne Riise . 'I just whacked him across the backside with the golf club. You couldn’t call it a swing.'
times in his career as a footballer when he was he struggled to watch a recording of himself announced his retirement from football aged 34 . among them Manchester City, Liverpool, Celtic and Steve Peters, the much-respected sports psychiatrist, the combustible Bellamy has worked enjoyed two spells at Liverpool during his 18