REVEALED: How Craig Bellamy ‘melted’ when furious Steven Gerrard shouted ‘shut your f***ing mouth’ at him after gobby Welshman had a go at then Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish
- Stewart Downing spent two years as a Liverpool player from 2011 until 2013
- He recalls a usually quiet Steven Gerrard once shooting down Craig Bellamy
- The incident occurred after Bellamy had been criticising boss Kenny Dalglish
Stewart Downing has lifted the lid on a dressing-room clash between Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy after the latter was on the case of then manager Kenny Dalglish.
Speaking to the Under the Cosh podcast, Downing recalled Bellamy feeling frustrated after a match against an unnamed opponent where he had been left on the bench for what he felt was too long.
‘I always remember one day, when someone gets a dressing down and they melt, (Bellamy) melted and he’d probably tell you that,’ Downing explained.
Stewart Downing has opened up on a clash between Steven Gerrard (right) and Craig Bellamy (left) in the Liverpool dressing room, with Gerrard telling Bellamy to ‘f***ing shut up’
Bellamy had taken a dig at then Reds boss Kenny Dalglish (right, with Bellamy in happier times)
‘He had a go at Kenny (Dalglish) at full time in a game. He was on the bench and he came on, and he was saying “you should have played me there cause I’m quick” and Kenny said “shut your mouth, sit down”.
‘Then Steven Gerrard, I’ve probably seen him lose his head twice in his career since I’ve known him. He came in and gave it to Bellers (saying) “shut your f***ing mouth”.
‘He dressed him down and he (Bellamy) just melted. Melted. I’ve never seen that. You know what Bellers is like, he’s funny. But he was stuttering about, and I just looked and thought “wow”.
‘Bellers couldn’t control what he said at times. Stevie I think was banned for the game but came in and hit him and he just melted.’
Former Liverpool and England winger Downing gave his insight on life inside Anfield
He played at Liverpool alongside legends such as Gerrard and Luis Suarez (top right)
Dalglish signed both Downing and Bellamy in his second tenure as Liverpool manager.
Downing played for Liverpool for two seasons, making 91 appearances and scoring seven goals.
He also picked up a League Cup winners’ medal in his first season at Anfield before departing in 2013 for West Ham as Brendan Rodgers – who replaced Dalglish in 2012 – reshaped the squad at his disposal.
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