Craig Bellamy played for Liverpool over two different spells.
Craig Bellamy has shared a brilliant and quite hilarious confrontation he had with ex-QPR player Joey Barton when he was playing for Liverpool.
The former striker shared that when he was brought on as a substitute for Liverpool against QPR, Barton was having a go at his own teammate, Jay Bothroyd, who used to play with Bellamy at Cardiff.
Barton told Bellamy ‘how did you put up playing with him?’, as he was making reference to Bothroyd seemingly doing something wrong during the game.
Boyhood Liverpool fan, Bellamy then shared that he let rip at Barton by telling him he was the ‘worst player in this team’ and how he was only getting the ball off the centre-backs and giving it to the fullbacks.
Bellamy then stated that Barton reacted with surprise and was later on waiting for him in the tunnel.
Speaking on Jamie Carragher’s Greatest Game podcast, this is what Bellamy told Carragher about his confrontation with Barton.
“Me and you were on the bench for Liverpool and we were playing QPR,” Carragher told Bellamy. “The Joey Barton one?” Bellamy replied with laughter.
The Welshman then added: “You [Caragher] were getting wound up as well. He was just getting it off the centre-half and playing it to the fullback. I’m like, ‘what are you doing all game? You are doing nothing’ I still do that to this day, I still speak to opposition players [by saying] ‘you need to improve this’. [Bellamy then shares how Barton responded by saying ‘I don’t play for you. Concentrate on your own players.’].
“So, I came onto the pitch, they had Jay Bothroyd playing for them, and I know Jay because I played with him at Cardiff. I have been watching him [Barton] for the last 30 minutes [from the bench] and he had just been eating away at me. So, as I have come onto the pitch. Jay gives it away [for QPR]. He [Barton] has had a go at Jay then he’s looked at me and said ‘how did you put up with playing with him?’
“I said ‘hold on a second there. I have watched you for the last 45 minutes. I have seen you moan at every single one of your players and I have seen you have a go at Jay. But I have got to be honest, you are the worst player in this team’. And he has gone ‘what?’. I said ‘What do you do getting off the centre-back and give it to the fullback? You might be kidding everyone else, but I am telling you right now before you start moaning at your teammates, you need to have a proper look at yourself’.
“And straight away, he’s like ‘I see you in the tunnel’. I have gone ‘do you know what, that sums you up as well because I have told you a few home truths’. This was on the pitch, by the way. He was there, waiting in the tunnel.”
Both Barton and Bellamy were controversial and perhaps colourful figures during their time as players, as they have now moved into management.
Barton is currently the manager of League One side Fleetwood Town, whilst Bellamy is working under Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht for the U23’s.
If Bellamy does push on to become a manager of his own then there could be the possibility that they might meet in the dugout in years to come, which in itself would be entertaining viewing.
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