Cardiff City striker Craig Bellamy has revealed that Sir Bobby Robson was the "best manager" he ever worked with and has denied that his sacking at Newcastle United was his fault.
The Welshman played under Robson for the Magpies for three years before the former England manager was sacked in August 2004.
Bellamy wrote in his autobiography, serialised by The Mirror: "Many people still seem to think I was responsible, either directly or indirectly, for his eventual exit from the club.
"That is a million miles from the truth. The truth is that Bobby Robson was the best manager I ever worked with.
"The truth is that I admired him and revered him and that I could never quite accept the way he was forced out of the club."
Bellamy left Newcastle in 2005 to join Blackburn Rovers.