‘Mark Hughes said not to join Liverpool as I wouldn’t enjoy it – he was right’

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Craig Bellamy admitted he ignored the advice of Mark Hughes to complete a dream transfer to Liverpool.

The former Newcastle and Manchester City forward grew up supporting the Reds, so when Rafa Benitez came calling in 2006, the then-Blackburn man couldn’t say no. However, in hindsight, followed a troubled and brief first spell at Anfield, he wishes he had.

Bellamy would have stayed at Ewood Park had he followed the advice of Blackburn boss Mark Hughes, who didn’t believe Benitez’s style of play would suit the speedy Welshmen. And so it proved as he spent just a single season at Anfield first time round.

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Speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap, in partnership with SkyBet, he said: “[I had a] Liverpool poster on my bedroom wall every single year. That poster you got from Toys R Us? Yeah, that was there.

“To get the privilege of being able to play for them [Liverpool] was like ‘I have to do this’, even though I was very happy at Blackburn at the time. I spoke to Mark Hughes who was not that happy for me – he said something that was very interesting; ‘I know who you are, I know how Liverpool play and I know this is not a good move for you’. He said I wouldn’t enjoy it. I really didn’t – very rigid.”

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Bellamy’s first spell at Liverpool was best remembered for his infamous golf club attack on team-mate John Arne Riise before a Champions League game against Barcelona in 2007. Bellamy had taken issue with Riise refusing to sign an initiation song and dodging their Christmas party. He confronted him but was met with a stern response from the Norwegian defender.

So after borrowing a golf club from Steve Finnan, he headed up to Riise's room. Recalling his actions, he said on Tubes & Ange Golf Life: "I knocked on his door, there’s no good way of it, certainly not proud, I don’t particularly like [it], it’s not a great moment for me at all.

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"Honestly, I went in there, smacked him across the a**. I said to him don’t ever speak to me like that in front of people and he quickly apologised, which you would if someone’s at your bed with a golf club."

Bellamy then celebrated with a golf swing celebration after scoring in the Reds' memorable 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp to cap off the whole situation. Riise, of course, got the other goal.

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