It was clear that many clubs were keen to land the signature of Craig Bellamy before the August transfer window shut, with Cardiff City able to fend off their rivals and ensure that the Welshman ensured a homecoming of sorts.

Harry Redknapp made no secret of the fact he wanted the striker at White Hart Lane, although the Tottenham manager concluded that there was a fat chance of signing Bellamy or Shay Given on loan as Manchester City view Spurs as rivals following the latter bagging a place in the top four of the Premier League last term.

It also appears that an even bigger top flight club were interested in securing Bellamy, with the fiery Welsh forward hinting that Manchester United wanted him to bolster their firepower at Old Trafford.

“Garry Cook (City’s chief executive) said to me it was the most phone calls he’d had on a player for a while,” Bellamy said.

“He said ‘You should take that as a big compliment’ and I said ‘Yeah, they all seem to want me apart from the club I’m actually at.’

“Tottenham wasn’t going to get done and someone else came in above them as well which would have caused a few stirs.

“If I would have said I wanted to go there for one minute my life at Man City….staying there would have really tough for the next couple of weeks.”