Craig Bellamy addresses bullying claims with advice for youth coaches

Bellamy has admitted to “cheering against England in front of players from England” during his time working with younger players.

He said he was not aware at the time of the impact that might have.

“There was a lot of stuff I didn’t know,” said Bellamy.

“It’s not correct, you can’t do that. I honestly thought it was just nature for me. I didn’t understand how a young 18-year-old English boy might have felt.

“I’ve got to be honest, there’s a lot of stuff I looked at and should have been aware of.”

Bellamy said he was also unsure of how to deal with youth players using offensive language during games.

“I wasn’t dealing with 12, 13 or 14-year-olds, they were 17 or 18-year-olds,” said Bellamy.

“If you’re in school, then obviously you don’t swear, but I thought after school, maybe in that environment, I could turn a blind eye to it, but you can’t do that.

“I’ve reflected on what happened, I reflect on everything.”