EVEN Tony Book's unofficial advice about scissor-tackling didn't work for City on that balmy August Saturday nine years ago when Craig Bellamy stunned Maine Road - and humiliated a great Blues servant.

Coventry livewire Bellamy, then 21, led City a merry dance and forced Blues manager Joe Royle to substitute his own captain Richard Edghill at half-time.

Now, of course, all Bellamy did that afternoon is forgotten after his £14m signing for City from West Ham, a deal totally overshadowed by the fall-out from the Kaka affair.

Edghill told M.E.N. Sport that, like most football fans, he believes Bellamy is the sort of player you either love or hate.

"He's a good player, always a threat and obviously a decent striker but transfer fees nowadays are ridiculous and £14m is a lot of money. Perhaps his value would stretch to £7m or even £8m realistically," he said.

Edghill recalls the game against Coventry and how he went through his regular routine of going to his mother Bernadette's home in Failsworth, for his usual pre-match meal of chicken, beans and toast.

"It was the same old routine with us turning up at Maine Road to meet in the dressing room at least an hour before kick-off.

"I'd been captain for a couple of years and when Big Joe put the Coventry team on the board he told us about Bellamy being quick and sharp," he said. "I knew he was a decent player.

"Their first goal in the 2-1 win came with the ball coming over my head as I was looking over my shoulder and I headed it over our own keeper Nicky Weaver for an own goal.

"It wasn't personal but, along with the rest of the team, I did get booed.

"Fifteen minutes later or so I stayed back as usual for a corner we had won. It was a bad corner and Coventry broke out and I ended up one-on-one with Bellamy.

"I knew how to defend and tried to push him wide towards the by-line but he kept on coming. When we got to the corner of the six-yard box I thought he'd never score from that angle past me and Nicky but he did.

"It was just one of those things. You're always going to make mistakes but these two came together.

"Joe asked me at half-time if I was all right but I had just had enough. Every little mistake and the crowd was on my back and he took me off, as he said, to protect me."

Edghill, who was brought up in Hollinwood and had been at City since he was 12, making his debut at 17, lost the captaincy although looking back he believes the Coventry game was a milestone as he was a stronger player when he returned.

"Craig Bellamy isn't really a striker or a winger but a forward who likes to go wide," he added. "It's fair to say whenever I've played against him we've had a few words.

"Tony Book used to say to me to give him the scissors, which is a two-footed tackle, but it didn't work that afternoon in 2000. Craig is quick and he's always a threat and he's one of those characters you either love or hate."

Despite being on a relatively low £5,000-a-week wage and having already chalked up 10 years at the club, Kevin Keegan, who took over from Royle, would not budge on anything more than a one-year contract extension for Edghill.

And the player was resolute that that was not a fair deal, especially as there was no offer of a testimonial.

Edghill, who served under seven managers at Maine Road, eventually went to Leicester, Sheffield United, QPR, Bradford and then Macclesfield.

Nowadays he spends his time playing golf or keeping fit in the gym or running.

He added: "You could say I'm open to offers. I'm free of injuries and keep myself fit. I wouldn't be asking for any ridiculous wage, just the going rate."

Edghill, who has a diploma in personal training, helps his wife Eve run a property letting and management company when he's not looking after their daughters Cassie, aged two, and eight-month-old Livia at their home in Norden, Rochdale.