NEW Wales manager Craig Bellamy once berated pundit Micah Richards for “talking s*** all the time”.
The Match of the Day analyst was speaking about the Nations League with pals Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker on the Stick to Football podcast.
After dissecting England’s 2-0 win over Ireland, attentions turned to Wales, who kicked off their international break with a goalless draw against Turkey.
Bellamy left Burnley after two years as an assistant to take charge of the Welsh national team, following the departure of Rob Page after the nation failed to qualify for Euro 2024.
It prompted Richards to recall a “quick story” about visiting Bellamy – or “Bells” – before Burnley’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City last season.
Richards said: “Bellers is Marmite. You either love him or you hate him. He worked his socks off when he was at Man City.
“But he would tell you how it is. If you played rubbish he would tell you.
“So I’ve gone to see Vincent Kompany last season before Burnley’s first game of the season last year, I went to a training session and I went to the game.
“And I’m walking into Turf Moor and I see Bellamy come up and he goes ‘F*** me, you’re f***ing everywhere talking s*** all the time’.”
“And I said ‘Bellers what do you mean?’.
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“You boys on analysis don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve got basic analysis. It’s ABC, 123 stuff. If you want proper analysis come to a Burnley training and I will show you how it is done.
“I was thinking to myself whether or not he was being serious or if he was having banter. But he was being deadly serious. I did not know how to take it.
“I didn’t say nothing, I got in my car and drove home and just thought he’s just mugged me right off there and I’ve basically just taken it.”
The brutal anecdote left Lineker and Shearer in stitches as they both burst out in laughter.
Richards then admitted that he’ll be pulling Bellamy up on certain bits and pieces when he sees his former Man City team-mate again.
Man City signed the former Welsh winger back in January 2009 from West Ham for £14m.
Bellamy also formed a successful strike partnership with Shearer at Newcastle between 2001-2005 under Bobby Robson.
Meanwhile, the appointment of Bellamy as Wales manager was to push for a rebrand before the 2026 World Cup and Euro 2028, when Cardiff will stage matches.
Bellamy, who won 78 Welsh caps, scoring 19 goals, never qualified for a major finals and hopes for his first win as boss against Montenegro tonight.
