Craig Bellamy: The games, goals and quotes that defined his Wales days

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Craig Bellamy: The games, goals and quotes that defined his Wales days

Scotland 1 Wales 2 – March 2013

Bellamy had been close to retirement when Toshack left before being talked around by friend and role model Gary Speed.

When Speed *****, the obvious question was whether Bellamy would be able to carry on, such was the impact both his life and his passing had on his former team-mate.

After taking time out, Bellamy returned under Chris Coleman, perhaps deciding his one last effort would be to nudge a team full of potential to their next step.

It was out of reach for the now 34-year-old, not quite as sharp or as effective as he once was, but there remained a night that was personally significant as Aaron Ramsey scored from the spot and Hal Robson-Kanu rose highest in the Hampden snow for a comeback win that would help lay foundations of the qualification that followed two years later.

“I am so proud of these players for the way we played,” Bellamy said with a sense of achievement ******* than any individual impact on the game itself in Glasgow.

“We were left a legacy by an incredible human being and we followed that through, which makes me even more proud. We represent him and his ideas every time we play, our approach and the way we go about football. It was one of my proudest days in a Welsh shirt.

“I see a bright future for us, although I may not be around myself when we do eventually qualify.”

He was right. His home farewell came against Macedonia seven months on where he passed up a penalty for Aaron Ramsey to take, while four days later his final action as a Wales player was to set up Ramsey for an 88th minute equaliser against Belgium in Brussels, moments after a 16-year-old Harry Wilson took to the field for his debut.

Both will be involved this week as Bellamy the player becomes Bellamy the manager, and his Wales story takes in its next chapter.

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