IN HINDSIGHT Graeme Souness' determination to keep his personal war with Craig Bellamy out of the public domain was nave to say the least.

Had Souness asked predecessor Sir Bobby Robson about the way to deal with the highly-strung Welshman one thing would have quickly emerged: Anything to do with Craig Bellamy is rarely kept behind closed doors.

In his four years at Newcastle - minus the five months spent on loan at Celtic - Bellamy is someone courted by controversy.

The Welshman's off the field antics played more than a fleeting role in Robson being sacked.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the whole Robson reign was that Bellamy lasted as long as he did at St James' Park.

Just a few months after the forward first signed in 2001 he was sent home in disgrace after missing a club dinner in honour of Newcastle president Sir John Hall.

He was cautioned by police for assaulting a female student, fined £750 after an incident at a Cardiff nightclub and his hot temper reached new lows when his performances at Newcastle reached new heights.

As Bellamy's power and pace partnership with Alan Shearer grew by the game, his on-field arrogance became such that he felt he was indispensable.

A bust-up with John Carver, when he threw a chair at the former assistant boss ahead of a UEFA cup game in March 2004, and a statement of intent to leave if Wayne Rooney arrived incurred the wrath of Robson.

And when Robson was replaced, Souness was charged with the role of instilling discipline into a squad wreaking havoc and Bellamy was always destined to become one of the casualties.

He had already clashed with the new man at the helm when he was substituted at Charlton last October. An attempt to quash the rift ended with another blazing row.

The relationship looked to have improved but Bellamy's reluctance to play right midfield at Arsenal last December ended with him feigning injury, according to Souness, who was then accused of being a liar.

Once the issue had been debated in public, in front of the cameras, there was only one man out.

He was the first of the bad-boys to be offloaded. First to Celtic and then Blackburn, where he is desperate to regain full fitness in time to pile further misery on Souness.

It was only two weeks ago that Bellamy was finally replaced by the more expensive Michael Owen. Owen to score the winning goal at Ewood Park for Newcastle? Souness can surely only dream.

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