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| Bellamy welcomes Toshack's faith | Bellamy welcomes Toshack's faith |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Craig Bellamy has praised Wales manager John Toshack for having the nerve to make him captain for the first time. | Craig Bellamy has praised Wales manager John Toshack for having the nerve to make him captain for the first time. |
| The Liverpool striker will lead his country in the home Euro 2008 qualifiers with Slovakia and Cyprus. | The Liverpool striker will lead his country in the home Euro 2008 qualifiers with Slovakia and Cyprus. |
| The fiery 27-year-old has had his spats within football and next week will defend an assault charge in court. | The fiery 27-year-old has had his spats within football and next week will defend an assault charge in court. |
| "The decision gets a lot of respect from me to John Toshack, I knew of all the attention it would create and it took a lot of nerve," Bellamy said. | "The decision gets a lot of respect from me to John Toshack, I knew of all the attention it would create and it took a lot of nerve," Bellamy said. |
| News conference: Wales striker Craig Bellamy News conference: Wales boss John Toshack Interview: Wales assistant boss Roy Evans | News conference: Wales striker Craig Bellamy News conference: Wales boss John Toshack Interview: Wales assistant boss Roy Evans |
| "I was a little bit surprised but I cannot deny it is something I have always wanted, I am extremely excited about it. | "I was a little bit surprised but I cannot deny it is something I have always wanted, I am extremely excited about it. |
| "There's an extra appreciation on my behalf for what John Toshack has done. There was always going to be a lot of media attention with it. | "There's an extra appreciation on my behalf for what John Toshack has done. There was always going to be a lot of media attention with it. |
| "I expected this reaction, the negativity. It is not something I am unfamiliar with, but one or two good things have been said." | "I expected this reaction, the negativity. It is not something I am unfamiliar with, but one or two good things have been said." |
| Bellamy will captain Wales in Cardiff in Ryan Giggs' injury absence, and intends to make the most of his opportunity. | Bellamy will captain Wales in Cardiff in Ryan Giggs' injury absence, and intends to make the most of his opportunity. |
| In the few days we have been together I am even more sure making Craig Bellamy captain was the right decision Wales manager John Toshack | In the few days we have been together I am even more sure making Craig Bellamy captain was the right decision Wales manager John Toshack |
| "Few people can really understand the feeling to captain your country," Bellamy added. | "Few people can really understand the feeling to captain your country," Bellamy added. |
| "Don't get me wrong, Ryan Giggs is the captain, but I have the armband for one or two games and that will live with me forever." | "Don't get me wrong, Ryan Giggs is the captain, but I have the armband for one or two games and that will live with me forever." |
| Toshack is banking on Bellamy to bring an extra enthusiasm to the Wales squad for the two matches in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. | Toshack is banking on Bellamy to bring an extra enthusiasm to the Wales squad for the two matches in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. |
| "His enthusiasm, we are hoping, will rub off on some of the younger ones," said Toshack. | "His enthusiasm, we are hoping, will rub off on some of the younger ones," said Toshack. |
| "We looked at the alternatives and we decided that Craig was, without doubt, the best one for these two matches. | "We looked at the alternatives and we decided that Craig was, without doubt, the best one for these two matches. |
| SPORT EDITORS' BLOG The conspicuous missing piece of the jigsaw is in place now we have Wales' highlights Match of the Day editor Paul Armstrong More on our Editors' blog | |
| "I have a hunch that it will give him something else to think about other than next week's court hearing. | "I have a hunch that it will give him something else to think about other than next week's court hearing. |
| "I am confident that he will not let me down. I have known him for a while and his commitment with us has always been first class. | "I am confident that he will not let me down. I have known him for a while and his commitment with us has always been first class. |
| "You never see Bellamy missing out on a Wales match or a get-together, his commitment cannot be doubted. | "You never see Bellamy missing out on a Wales match or a get-together, his commitment cannot be doubted. |
| "He has settled into the job well, managers sometimes have little hunches that nobody else can understand, but there is always a reason. | "He has settled into the job well, managers sometimes have little hunches that nobody else can understand, but there is always a reason. |
| "People are talking about the problems he has coming up, but in the few days we have been together I am even more sure it was the right decision. | "People are talking about the problems he has coming up, but in the few days we have been together I am even more sure it was the right decision. |
| "He has not just come to Cardiff to play for Wales, he has come to captain Wales." | "He has not just come to Cardiff to play for Wales, he has come to captain Wales." |
| Wales assistant manager Roy Evans says Bellamy's reputation as a troublemaker should not be held against him for the rest of his life. | Wales assistant manager Roy Evans says Bellamy's reputation as a troublemaker should not be held against him for the rest of his life. |
| "There is no doubt he did get into some trouble, that's known," Evans said. | "There is no doubt he did get into some trouble, that's known," Evans said. |
| "But the lad has started to do the right things and we feel he will be a good captain for us." | "But the lad has started to do the right things and we feel he will be a good captain for us." |
| That decision by Toshack to hand Bellamy the armband has polarised opinion. | That decision by Toshack to hand Bellamy the armband has polarised opinion. |
| Those who doubt his suitability for the role point out that Bellamy has frequently courted trouble, culminating with the spectacular fall-out with Graeme Souness last year that ended his Newcastle career. | Those who doubt his suitability for the role point out that Bellamy has frequently courted trouble, culminating with the spectacular fall-out with Graeme Souness last year that ended his Newcastle career. |
| Since then Bellamy has worked to rid himself of that image at Celtic, Blackburn and now Liverpool. | Since then Bellamy has worked to rid himself of that image at Celtic, Blackburn and now Liverpool. |
| But his attempts to rid himself of the bad-boy image have not been helped by next week's court appearance, to answer a charge he has always denied. | But his attempts to rid himself of the bad-boy image have not been helped by next week's court appearance, to answer a charge he has always denied. |
| "Let's not allow things in the past to live with him forever," said former Liverpool manager Evans. | "Let's not allow things in the past to live with him forever," said former Liverpool manager Evans. |
| "He should be remembered as a great player, so it's a little sad that we all have to talk about this. | "He should be remembered as a great player, so it's a little sad that we all have to talk about this. |
| "But you cannot hold that against him for the rest of his life." | "But you cannot hold that against him for the rest of his life." |