I was told to snub Liverpool by a Manchester United legend - I should have listened

Craig Bellamy has conceded he made a mistake by joining Liverpool in 2006 and should have listened to advice given to him by Manchester United hero, Mark Hughes.

The Reds sealed a deal to sign Bellamy, who grew up a boyhood supporter of the club, after triggering a release clause worth £6million in his contract at Blackburn Rovers.

Bellamy spent only one season at Anfield, however, and was told by Rafa Benitez he was surplus to requirements as the club made their way home from Athens after losing the 2007 Champions League final to AC Milan. Preceding this decision had been the infamous golf club incident between Bellamy and John Arne Riise, something the former has expressed deep regret over.

Blackburn boss Hughes had done his best to prevent Bellamy moving to Liverpool in the first place by advising him it would be a wrong step to make due to the Reds' style of play not suiting him. This advice was ignored by the jet-heeled forward, who holds regrets over the decision he took.

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“[I had a] Liverpool poster on my bedroom wall every single year. That poster you got from Toys R Us? Yeah, that was there. To get the privilege of being able to play for them [Liverpool] was like ‘I have to do this’, even though I was very happy at Blackburn at the time," explained the former Wales international on The Overlap.

"I spoke to Mark Hughes who was not that happy for me – he said something that was very interesting; ‘I know who you are, I know how Liverpool play and I know this is not a good move for you’. He said I wouldn’t enjoy it. I really didn’t – very rigid.”

Bellamy