Former Hammer and Welsh International Craig Bellamy announced today that he is retiring from football. Bellamy sited pain from accumulated injuries as his reason for hanging up his boots, stating that: “the time has come to stand aside and say enough. My body can’t take anymore.”
The temperamental yet talented striker finished out his last season of football playing for the relegated Cardiff City. He scored just one goal in his 22 appearances—and managed to rack up three yellow cards.
Bellamy has had an illustrious career playing for most of the teams in the Premier League, including West Ham—where he scored nine goals in 26 games. He signed for the Hammers in July of 2007, and left for Manchester City in January 2009. His departure was rumored to be characteristically in tune with his fiery temper— that he stormed out of training and ‘went on strike’ before his departure—but years later he said that the happiest time in his career was when he played for West Ham.
Whilst announcing his departure, he had more kind words for West Ham, stating that “People know about Liverpool, Man City, Newcastle, Celtic, Cardiff, but don’t forget West Ham. Only on going there did I realise just what a massive club they are. To Londoners, West Ham are very much THE club.”
It’s always welcomed and appreciated to have former players speak highly of their time at West Ham (here’s looking at you, Chamakh), and I’ll certainly look back on Bellamy’s time in a claret and blue shirt with fond memories- particularly with regards to the pace he provided up front.
It’s a sad day for football when a formerly prolific and talented football has to hang up his boots, but Bellamy is focusing on the future and planning a career in management. He may perhaps need to consider anger management as the first step, but I certainly wish him well in his future.
