Standing ovations do not arise often for a Liverpool player, supporter and former Manchester City forward at Old Trafford but, to Craig Bellamy, his reception against Senegal was the moment that reinforced the unique "honour" of representing Team GB at the Olympic Games.
Premier League commitment to the Olympics was again questioned prior to Team GB's frustrating draw with the Senegalese on Thursday courtesy of Gareth Bale's ability to play for Tottenham Hotspur in a pre-season friendly but not Stuart Pearce's team in a major tournament. No such doubts could be attached to Bellamy or any of Team GB on a bruising night at Old Trafford. For the Wales international, who heard the jeers for his Liverpool team-mate Luis Suárez during Uruguay's defeat of United Arab Emirates before Team GB's game, and who anticipated a similar response, the reaction to his 79th-minute substitution showed that, for all the cynicism, support for the British football team is genuine.
Bellamy said: "I was expecting what Luis got and was prepared for that. I was grateful Luis was playing first. I had prepared myself for that if I'm honest but, look, this is the Theatre of Dreams, I'm a Liverpool fan and Liverpool is my club but it's always an honour to play at Old Trafford. That's coming from a Liverpool fan. This is a truly remarkable place to play your football and to come here to represent Great Britain and to represent my own country, Wales, was special.
"I'm 33, you guys have seen me for a number of years now. Yeah, I can make mistakes but when I do play for your team I do work as hard as I can for your team and hopefully I got recognition for that. With the limited ability I have, I do have to make up for it with work ethic. I'm here because I want to be here and do as well as I can. It has been unbelievable so far. It's just everything around a tournament, I've never experienced. I'm just really grateful. We have a great group of boys, the manager has been brilliant as well. It's just been a special occasion. I'm just fortunate to be part of it."
London 2012 organisers have been forced to reprint the official match programmes for the football tournament after Swansea City's Welsh midfielder Joe Allen was listed as English in the original. Bellamy believes his compatriot has not taken offence, but is himself aggrieved at what he views as a lack of solidarity with Team GB from the host nations, Wales included.
"I think Joe knows he's Welsh, I'm sure he does. He speaks fluent Welsh," was Bellamy's fine response. "I don't think he's concerned about it because that's the type of guy he is. He loves his country as we all do. The English boys love their country. It's just great to be involved in this. We're representing four countries and it's a proud occasion. I'd like the media to be a little bit more behind it but of course with the Welsh that's sometimes not possible."
Bellamy and Allen are both doubtful for Team GB's next game in Group A, Sunday's encounter with UAE at Wembley, as a result of Senegal's robust approach at Old Trafford. The Wales veteran missed the opening ceremony in order to prepare for Wembley and said: "The tackle [from Saliou Ciss] just tweaked my medial ligament a little bit but I should be all right."
Premier League commitment to the Olympics was again questioned prior to Team GB's frustrating draw with the Senegalese on Thursday courtesy of Gareth Bale's ability to play for Tottenham Hotspur in a pre-season friendly but not Stuart Pearce's team in a major tournament. No such doubts could be attached to Bellamy or any of Team GB on a bruising night at Old Trafford. For the Wales international, who heard the jeers for his Liverpool team-mate Luis Suárez during Uruguay's defeat of United Arab Emirates before Team GB's game, and who anticipated a similar response, the reaction to his 79th-minute substitution showed that, for all the cynicism, support for the British football team is genuine.
Bellamy said: "I was expecting what Luis got and was prepared for that. I was grateful Luis was playing first. I had prepared myself for that if I'm honest but, look, this is the Theatre of Dreams, I'm a Liverpool fan and Liverpool is my club but it's always an honour to play at Old Trafford. That's coming from a Liverpool fan. This is a truly remarkable place to play your football and to come here to represent Great Britain and to represent my own country, Wales, was special.
"I'm 33, you guys have seen me for a number of years now. Yeah, I can make mistakes but when I do play for your team I do work as hard as I can for your team and hopefully I got recognition for that. With the limited ability I have, I do have to make up for it with work ethic. I'm here because I want to be here and do as well as I can. It has been unbelievable so far. It's just everything around a tournament, I've never experienced. I'm just really grateful. We have a great group of boys, the manager has been brilliant as well. It's just been a special occasion. I'm just fortunate to be part of it."
London 2012 organisers have been forced to reprint the official match programmes for the football tournament after Swansea City's Welsh midfielder Joe Allen was listed as English in the original. Bellamy believes his compatriot has not taken offence, but is himself aggrieved at what he views as a lack of solidarity with Team GB from the host nations, Wales included.
"I think Joe knows he's Welsh, I'm sure he does. He speaks fluent Welsh," was Bellamy's fine response. "I don't think he's concerned about it because that's the type of guy he is. He loves his country as we all do. The English boys love their country. It's just great to be involved in this. We're representing four countries and it's a proud occasion. I'd like the media to be a little bit more behind it but of course with the Welsh that's sometimes not possible."
Bellamy and Allen are both doubtful for Team GB's next game in Group A, Sunday's encounter with UAE at Wembley, as a result of Senegal's robust approach at Old Trafford. The Wales veteran missed the opening ceremony in order to prepare for Wembley and said: "The tackle [from Saliou Ciss] just tweaked my medial ligament a little bit but I should be all right."
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