‘ CRAIG BELLAMY ‘

By Annis Abraham

Craig Bellamy has been in total charge of the Cardiff City DVP and all the Cardiff City Academy teams since February this year and he intends to bring through the talent that already exists at Cardiff City.

The first major job was to clear out at least ten of the Cardiff City DVP players and thats been done and many of the Cardiff City youngsters have been promoted to the DVP team.

So far under Bellamy’s guidance they have had a tough time winning only two from thirteen games and not winning any games from their last five including another home defeat against Bristol City’s DVP team last night.

This will have certainly given them valuable experience and will have toughen them up ready for a new challenge that awaits them next season.

Also Cardiff City’s Unders 18’s need to vastly improve on recent results and a lot of work will need to be done this summer.

Craig Bellamy is very excited about Cardiff City’s future and with Neil Warnock in charge of the first team and Bellamy in charge of the DVP team and under, next season looks like being an exciting one for Cardiff City fans.

Craig Bellamy:”We have some top talent. At under-14, under-16. Lower down the age grade there is an even greater clutch of them.

“We could be ruthless and win every single game at every age group, but also have no players making the first team. Is that success? No, development is what counts, then the players make it.”

CRAIG BELLAMY:

“When I finished playing in 2014 I had the summer off, which was completely new to me. Around October 2016 James McCarthy (Head of the Academy) gave me a call and asked if I would like to help coach some of the youngsters at the club.”

“To be honest I wasn’t too sure if I was ready. I felt it was important to take two years out of the game, but he encouraged me to come and go when I wanted, look at various age groups, from under sevens upwards.”

“The Talent It’s here, trust me it’s here. It’s our responsibility to make sure it blossoms properly”

“We asked ourselves ‘Where are our young players in the first team?’ We have got a great catchment area here in and around Cardiff and should be producing more numbers than we do.”

“The plan is to improve this. We just felt this was the best route for myself at the moment, where I could have the biggest input in helping the club.”

“I’m involved from the under sevens right through to the 23s, looking at different teams, taking different sessions, going to different matches. It’s look and learn.”

“Can we keep going with one or two local players making it every so often and be regarded as successful? Yes, but our dream is to get that up to seven or eight.”

“We have some top talent. At under-14, under-16. Lower down the age grade there is an even greater clutch of them.

But developing them properly at those ages is crucial. Everybody wants to win games, but we have to look at the bigger picture.”

“We could be ruthless and win every single game at every age group, but also have no players making the first team. Is that success? No, development is what counts, then the players make it.”

“In the past perhaps we didn’t always have the facilities. That meant it was sometimes more appealing for people like myself, even Gareth Bale, to go elsewhere and develop at other set-ups.”

“We’ve changed that. We are trying to put everything in place to make our modern-day youngsters realise this is the best opportunity for them.”

Craig Bellamy: “We could be ruthless and win every single game at every age group, but also have no players making the first team. Is that success? No, development is what counts, then the players make it.”

Cardiff Unders 18’s need to vastly improve on recent results and hopefully next season we will see it.

Cardiff City under 18’s 0-7 Coventry City

Ipswich Town Under 18’s 4 – 0 Cardiff City Under 18’s

Millwall Under 18’s 3 – 0 Cardiff City Under 18’s

Huddersfield Town Under 18’s 6 – 0 Cardiff City Under 18’s

Cardiff City Under 18’s 2- 0 Coventry City Under 18’s

Cardiff City Under 18’s 0-4 Birmingham City under 18’s