Bellamy, having been cleared of allegations during his time in charge of Cardiff Under-18, is now enjoying a new life in Brussels coaching in the Anderlecht youth system

Craig Bellamy could guess some of the reaction when allegations including bullying in Cardiff City’s youth system, where he was in charge of the under-18s, were first aired at the start of the year.

“I can hear them, ‘Yeah he would do that, he would be like that,’ ” Bellamy, 40, says. He knows the rush to judgment is a legacy of his years as a snarling forward with clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester City, and Wales, and understands it — to an extent.

Bellamy can be tough, uncompromising and, as he sits down to talk at length for the first time since accusations appeared ten months ago, he explains why an apology is necessary for some mistakes, including swearing as a frustrated coach