10/07/2007 09:06
West Ham United is delighted to announce the signing of Wales international
captain Craig Bellamy from Liverpool for a fee of £7.5million. The
27-year-old striker put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Upton Park
this morning to become Alan Curbishley's fourth summer signing. Born in
Cardiff on July 13, 1979, Craig left home as a teenager to begin his career
with Norwich City, where he made his debut against Crystal Palace in March
1997, before going on to net 32 goals in 84 league and cup appearances for
the Canaries. In the summer of 2000, he earned a £6.5million move to
Coventry City but, after suffering relegation in his first season at
Highfield Road, was again the target of Premier League clubs and, in June
2001, Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson swooped to sign him for
£6million.
The Welshman enjoyed a fantastic start to his career at St James' Park,
scoring on his debut in an Intertoto Cup match against Belgian side Lokeren,
before going on to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award at the end of
his first campaign, in which he scored 16 goals to form a potent strikeforce
alongside Alan Shearer and help the Magpies qualify for the Champions
League.
Following the arrival of Graeme Souness as manager in August 2004, Craig's
Newcastle career hit a rocky patch and, in January 2005, he joined Celtic on
loan, scoring seven goals in just 12 appearances. In July 2005, his former
national team coach Mark Hughes paid £5million to take Bellamy to Blackburn
Rovers, where he again proved his Premier League quality, scoring 13 goals
in 27 appearances at Ewood Park, a strike-rate that alerted Liverpool to
splash out £6million for his services last summer. He managed nine goals in
27 appearances for the Reds, including a vital Champions League strike
against Barcelona at the Nou Camp that helped Rafael Benitez's men on their
way to eventually reaching the final against AC Milan in May, when he was an
unused substitute as the Italians sealed a 2-0 victory.
Craig made his senior international debut for Wales against Jamaica at the
age of just 18, and has so far earned 45 caps for his country, scoring 13
goals. In October 2006, he was handed the captaincy by national team coach
John Toshack in the absence of Ryan Giggs for a Euro 2008 qualifier against
Slovakia.
At the end of last season, following the retirement of Giggs from
international football, the striker was confirmed as the country's new
captain on a permanent basis, and will now look forward to joining his
national team colleagues Danny Gabbidon and James Collins at Upton Park.
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Bellamy lured by Hammers ambition - WHUFC
10/07/2007 10:13
Craig Bellamy admits that he was persuaded to leave behind Champions League
football at Liverpool after seeing the drive and ambition on display at West
Ham United. The Welsh international captain finally completed his
£7.5million transfer from Anfield this morning after several days of
speculation and, in his first exclusive interview as a Hammers player,
expressed his delight at making the move. "I'm delighted to be here," he
says. "It's taken a little bit longer than I would have liked but the main
thing is that it is done now and I can look forward to the challenge ahead.
"I knew around two weeks ago that there was an opportunity for me to head
away from Liverpool, but I had to make sure that any move was the right one
for me and not just an off the cuff reaction. "I had a lot to weigh up, and
in the end I decided that West Ham United was the best move for me, and
that's why I'm sitting here now. "I wanted to make sure that, if I left
Liverpool, it would be to a club that is going to be pushing for Europe. I
want to play in Europe, it's important to me, and I felt that same drive and
ambition here at West Ham. "Obviously it would be naïve of me to say that we
are going to qualify for the Champions League next season, but that's one
thing we are really going to be pushing for here in the future. "The Club is
looking to strengthen what is already a very good squad, and West Ham are
renowned for their open and attacking football, so everything is perfect for
me."
Having helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final last season - with
the likes of Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Chelsea despatched along the way -
Craig is certainly no stranger to performing at the very highest level in
club football. However, just as it was for his former Blackburn Rovers
team-mate Lucas Neill in January, the potential to be an integral part of
something big at Upton Park is a far more attractive proposition than some
cynics might claim. "I had a great experience at Liverpool and I believe
West Ham will benefit this year, because I know I am a better player for
it," he says. "I supported Liverpool as a boy and would have had the chance
to play Champions League football again next season, but I needed to look
beyond that, in the same way that Lucas Neill did when he came here. "I
understood Lucas's position. If he'd joined Liverpool, he would have been a
squad player, like I was. Some people don't understand it, but the
opportunity to be a senior figure at an ambitious club like West Ham is very
attractive. "It was important for me to start playing regular football. I
could sit at Liverpool as a squad player all day long, picking up my money,
playing every now and then, but I'd be cheating myself and my personality.
"I want to play every week, to test myself and be in the firing line a
little bit. I've signed a five-year contract here, and I will be here for
the long term. I've moved around a bit in recent years, and now I want to
settle. "I'm 28 later this week and hopefully approaching the prime years of
my career. I believe West Ham are going to see the best of me, I'm focusing
on giving my all for the Club and I'm really looking to the challenge
ahead."
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