Inside the complex mind of Wales boss Bellamy
Craig Bellamy takes a seat at his desk and connects his laptop to a projector showing its contents on the opposite wall, the desktop background barely visible behind a maze of files and folders. The Wales head coach whizzes through a few clips – every single training session he has ever conducted is there – and reels off some of the statistical indicators of Wales' improvement during his year and a half in charge. Behind him are two framed Wales shirts and a framed photo of the late Gary Speed, his friend and former team-mate and coach, during his time as Wales manager.
Other than a copy of Bellamy's autobiography on the desk, there is little else decorative in this neat, sparse office at Dragon Park. Bellamy chooses to work at Wales' national development centre on the outskirts of Newport because, in his words, this is a football place. The Football Association of Wales may have its headquarters in the Vale of Glamorgan but, outside of international camps, that is as much to do with matters off the field – from finance and marketing to grassroots administration – as it is the elite game.
Here, it is all football, just as Bellamy likes it. Coaches and analysts pop in occasionally but, in the main, he is left to it. "Socially I can be very awkward – not on purpose – but when it comes to football, I'm really open and happy," he says.
"If a person wants to stop me in the street and talk football, unfortunately you can't get rid of me. " Happily, that becomes clear as this conversation morphs into a four-hour epic, rich with unexpectedly heartfelt and humorous detours. In an exclusive interview where Bellamy grants BBC Sport Wales rare access into his working methods and outlook on life, this is a glimpse inside the mind of a man who has been described as a football "genius".
'Close to perfect' - Bellamy revels in Wales masterclass 'Gobby troublemaker to meticulous coach' - Bellamy's evolution It is a wet and windy January morning in Newport, and Wales do not have a fixture for two months. Some international managers might view the long gaps between games as a chance to unwind. Some do not live in the country they manage, while others have additional jobs.