Coventry City never saw Newcastle United, Liverpool FC factor with record-breaking transfer flop | OneFootball

Craig Bellamy flopped with the Sky Blues but went on to be a good player for other Premier League clubs

Craig Bellamy is best-known throughout English football for his time with the likes of Newcastle United and Liverpool, and he was once Coventry City's club-record-signing in 2000, but he failed to ever truly impress in his one season with the Sky Blues.

Cardiff-born forward Bellamy took his first steps into the professional game with Norwich City in 1997, at just 17-years-old, and he became a key man for the Canaries in the First Division as interest in his services grew year-on-year.

Coventry beat off strong competition from the likes of Wimbledon and Newcastle United for his services in the summer of 2000, and they broke their transfer record to sign him for £6.5 million as they looked to kick on in the Premier League under Gordon Strachan.

He endured a poor start to life at Highfield Road, and despite improving as the campaign went on, he was unable to help the Sky Blues avoid relegation to the second-tier as their 34-year stay in the top-flight came to an unfortunate end.

Bellamy soon departed the club after just one season, but while he struggled to ever make an impact at Coventry, he did go on to become a key player for numerous Premier League clubs like Newcastle and Liverpool.

Craig Bellamy flopped in his time at Coventry City

Bellamy actually started off on the right foot at Coventry, as he netted his first goal from the penalty spot in just his second appearance to help Strachan's side notch their first three points of the season against Southampton.

He followed that up with another strike a week later to fire the Sky Blues to an away win against Manchester City, and they looked set to improve on their 14th-placed finish from the season prior, but things soon went downhill for Bellamy and his teammates.

A dire run of just one win in the next 13 league games followed, and the Welsh international netted just once in that time as relegation fears truly began to set in, and they sat inside the relegation zone at the turn of the year.

Bellamy still popped up with some big moments, including the winner in a December game against rivals Leicester City, but supporters began to grow frustrated with his lack of killer instinct in front of goal compared to Robbie Keane, who had left in the summer to join Inter Milan.

His form and all-round game improved somewhat after Wales strike partner John Hartson made the move to the Sky Blues from Wimbledon in February 2001, but while the Swansea-born forward contributed more than Bellamy in the second-half of the campaign, neither of their respective efforts were enough to keep Coventry in the top-flight.

Strachan's side were relegated in 19th place following a 3-2 away defeat at Aston Villa in May, and Bellamy ended his only season at the club with eight goals from 39 appearances in all competitions, with six of those strikes coming in the Premier League.

He later admitted in his 2013 autobiography that he "didn't believe in the team" pretty much as soon as he joined, in terms of their likelihood of surviving in the top-flight, and also revealed that he felt bullied by older teammates who did not like the way he played and the fact he was earning more money than them at such a young age. It was no wonder that he struggled to impress.

Bellamy impressed elsewhere in his career at the top level

With Coventry in need of funds to make up for their relegation to the second-tier, and Bellamy likely happy to make an immediate exit after failing to take to life in the West Midlands, he was sold on to Newcastle United for a small profit in the summer of 2001.

He netted his first Premier League goal for the Magpies in a draw against local rivals Sunderland as he started well at St James' Park, and was a key part of their push for the top-flight title in the early stages of the season.

Bellamy formed a great forward partnership with legendary striker Alan Shearer, and registered 15 goals and eight assists in his maiden campaign at the club, while also picking up the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

The 78-time Wales international grew into the mercurial winger that many now remember him as during his time on Tyneside, and was a key player for Newcastle in the Premier League and Champions League before eventually going on loan to Celtic in January 2005, amid a fallout with Graeme Souness, then joining Blackburn Rovers on a permanent transfer in July of the same year.

He went on to feature for the likes of Liverpool, West Ham, Manchester City and boyhood club Cardiff City before hanging up his boots in 2014 at the age of 34. Bellamy played close to 300 games in the English top-flight throughout his career, and won the League Cup and Community Shield with the Reds, while also helping them to an FA Cup and Champions League final in his time on Merseyside.

He is remembered as a player that could take a game by the scruff of the neck and win it by himself, as well as for scoring memorable goals for numerous different teams. Now 45-years-old and in charge of the Welsh national team, he still holds the record for the most clubs scored for in the Premier League, with seven, but is certainly not remembered very fondly at Coventry, who were the first of those back in 2000.