Match of the Day star torn to shreds by Craig Bellamy in awkward face-to-face rant

Match of the Day pundit Micah Richards was brutally criticised by his ex-Manchester City colleague and newly appointed Wales manager Craig Bellamy for his punditry skills. Richards, a former England defender who shared the pitch with Bellamy at the Etihad, is now a familiar face on Sky Sports, BBC, and CBS Sports, offering his expert commentary across these networks.

Bellamy, aged 45, has recently stepped into the managerial role of the Welsh national team, which he once captained and earned 78 caps for, starting his international journey at the tender age of 18 in 1998.

The ex-forward, boasting over 400 league games, left his post at relegated Burnley to take charge following Vincent Kompany’s departure to Bayern Munich. It was during Bellamy’s stint at Turf Moor that he clashed with Richards, sparing no niceties as he laid into the 36-year-old pundit.

“We obviously both played with Bellers [Bellamy], and he’s marmite – you either love him or you hate him,” Richards recounted, sharing the anecdote with fellow pundits Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker on The Rest Is Football podcast, as per the the Mirror.

“He worked his socks off when he was at Man City, did all his pre-activation, but he would tell you how it is. If you played rubbish, he would tell you.

“So, I’ve gone to see… I remember last season Man City had Burnley, first game of the season. I went up to go see a training session a couple of days before and I go to the game. So, I’m walking into the ground – I think it was at the ground – for whatever reason, to go see [Vincent] Kompany.

“And I’ve seen Bellers come up, and he goes: ‘F*** me, you’re f****** everywhere talking s*** all the time!’ I just said, ‘Bellers, what do you mean?’ He said: ‘You boys on analysis don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve got basic analysis. It’s ABC, 123 stuff. If you want proper analysis, come to Burnley’s training ground, and I will show you how it’s done.’

“I thought to myself, ‘I don’t know if he was being serious or having banter.’ But he was being deadly serious. I didn’t know how to take it. I didn’t say nothing, I got in my car and drove home I basically thought he’s just mugged me right off there in front of everyone, and I’ve just taken it. So, when I see him again I’ll be pulling him up on certain bits and pieces.”

Bellamy recently took charge of his national side for the first time, playing out a 0-0 draw against a combative Turkey, and fulfilled a lifelong ambition of leading Wales from the dugout.

“It’s an incredible honour for me to be given the opportunity to lead my country and it’s the proudest moment of my career,” Bellamy stated upon his appointment. “It was always my ultimate dream to become the Cymru head coach. The chance to be the manager of Wales, my country, has always been a dream that has never left me.”