Premier League referee Michael Oliver and former official Howard Webb each named ex-Wales worldwide Craig Bellamy as probably the most difficult participant to officiate.
Despite having a profitable profession with top-flight golf equipment like Manchester City, Newcastle, and Liverpool, Bellamy was identified for his troublesome behaviour on the pitch. Oliver, who’s a identified fan of Newcastle, admitted in an interview with The Athletic in 2021: “Craig Bellamy was incredibly difficult.
“What you discover is that some groups are troublesome. Teams that are not profitable for a starter – that is the identical at each stage – and groups who aren’t used to dropping, the frustration stage is greater for them. But one participant, it will be Bellamy.
READ MORE: Howard Webb admits VAR bought Martin Odegaard’s handball mistaken in Liverpool vs Arsenal
READ MORE: Gary Lineker brutally mocks Man Utd over switch hearsay as even followers say ‘we’re a joke’
“I watched him for two or three years – I’m a Newcastle fan and you wanted him in your team because he was a winner. But he was a nightmare to referee because he would argue about everything. If you told him it was black, he’d tell you it was white.”
Meanwhile Webb, a former Premier League referee and the present head of the PGMOL, shared comparable ideas through the Mirror when requested the identical query. The ref from the 2010 World Cup remaining mentioned that Bellamy was fast to voice his opinion with out contemplating the official’s perspective.
Who is the largest moaner you’ve got ever seen within the Premier League? Let us know within the feedback part.
(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP through Getty Images))
“The player that gave me the most grief would have to be Craig Bellamy,” Webb advised the Mirror in 2016, recalling among the followers, gamers, and managers who had given him a very laborious time throughout his tenure. “I struggled to build any sort of rapport with Craig.
“He may need been a top-notch footballer and a pleasant lad off the pitch, however on it, he was fast to share his views and did not actually hearken to yours. There have been different gamers – like Joey Barton or Robbie Savage – who would voice their opinions however really have interaction in a dialog with you.”
(Image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Learn extra
Sky Sports is bringing you 500 reside soccer video games to observe, as nicely entry to Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA and extra throughout eight devoted channels. Sky Sports is the solely strategy to watch all of the motion this yr.
£22 a month
Sky
Bellamy stopped giving refs a tough time in 2014 when he hung up his boots. He then moved into teaching with Belgian group Anderlecht, working alongside ex-teammate Vincent Kompany, and continues to work with the City legend at Burnley right now.
* This article was crafted with the assistance of an AI software, which quickens Daily Star’s editorial analysis. An editor reviewed this content material earlier than it was revealed. You can report any errors to starletters@dailystar.co.uk