CITY'S new owners must have thought Mark Hughes had taken leave of his senses when he suggested Craig Bellamy was the man the Blues needed to boost their strike-force last winter.

Dogged by tales of hitting a team-mate with a golf club at Liverpool, abusive text messages to Alan Shearer while at Newcastle, and a dozen other transgressions - some true, some exaggerated - the Welsh ace was bargepole material.

But Hughes, having dealt with Bellamy at Blackburn and in his time as Wales manager, knew there were two sides to the story.

And he knew that, handled correctly, Bellamy's talent and desire could be harnessed for the good of City.

Rather than trying to stifle Bellamy's tendency to speak his mind, Hughes sees it as a positive. Rather than trying to calm and contain the fires that burn within the stocky frame, Hughes tried to channel them for the good of the club.

And rather than clamp down on the player's forthright nature, he indulges the intelligence and eloquence which underlies it.

That is why Hughes, more than any other manager, has reaped rewards from Bellamy, and why the player often dismissed as a rogue, has become a key element of City's push for honours this season.

Bellamy himself says little in public. He is not interested in his media profile, not too bothered what the public at large think of him.

Contentment

So when he does speak, it tends to be devoid of the bland platitudes and insincerity with which football-speak is usually riven.

And it is plain that Bellamy has found a degree of contentment since coming to City - although it has not stopped him having a verbal blast at higher-profile players who he thought had not been pulling their weight.

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Hughes turned to Bellamy last winter, signing him on a four-year deal for a fee believed to be around £10m.

Some dismissed Bellamy as a troublemaker, others felt he was an injury liability, and many agreed that his ability was not enough to carry the baggage he has had with him throughout his career. Hughes knew better, and stuck to his guns when the new owners questioned his judgment.

Bellamy knew Hughes would face some flak for even suggesting him as a signing, and has set about repaying the faith the manager has always had.

"When I signed here a few Manchester City fans weren't sure because when Craig Bellamy's name is mentioned people think `Do we really need this guy?'

"But I understand that - I'm not everyone's cup of tea.

"I hear the owners Googled me. I'm sure they asked the manager `Are you really sure about buying this player?'

"But I am demanding and nine times out of ten I'm wrong. A lot of money has been spent on me but the manager said to me even though players will be coming in I still have a lot of faith in you.

"And being with better players at a club like Manchester City, a club that really sees a big future, is a pleasure to be involved in."

His respect for Hughes shines through, and is perhaps a major factor in his calmer approach to life since joining the Blues.

His former national team boss and Sir Bobby Robson, at Newcastle, are probably the two men who most understand what makes him tick, and how to use it.

Sir Bobby said in his autobiography: "If Craig Bellamy wasn't such a gifted footballer, you would turn your back on him, because he's a nightmare of a boy. You'll have a fight with him every day in training.

"He's a spiky little kid, very ambitious. He wants the best, and he wants to win.

"He's quite prepared to have a go at a team-mate at half time. He has no fear of saying what he thinks."

That was something which Robinho discovered, just weeks after Bellamy signed for City, after he had gone missing during the Blues' defeat at Portsmouth last season.

But Bellamy, without losing the ire or the fire, seems to have found, at Eastlands, a harbour from the stormy sea of his career.

"Everything at Manchester City has gone well for me from start to finish," said Bellamy, in a Sky Sports interview.

"It's so professional here. The manager is clever and he doesn't want to give any of the players any reason to moan - he makes sure the only thing you have to concentrate on is your football.

"With certain clubs everything looks great on the outside but inside it's a mess - but with Mark Hughes his attention to detail is perfect."

Time is running out for Bellamy, whose only major honours are a Scottish Cup winner's medal from his time at Celtic, and a Community Shield bauble with Liverpool.

The fact that he was an unused sub as Liverpool lost the 2007 Champions League final was a prompt for him to leave Anfield, as he wants to be in the thick of the action.

He joined West Ham, believing they were close to challenging for honours, and then on to City - and he is finally convinced he is at a club which is heading for the heights.

Trophies

"The next few years for Manchester City, well, the sky's the limit," he said.

"To be a big club with big crowds you have to win things. You only become a big club by winning trophies. Whether I'm here or not, this club will be a real force in the next few years."

MICAH Richards has been awarded the opening goal against Arsenal by the Premier League's dubious goals panel.

The Blues defender, who was also denied goals at Portsmouth and against Fulham by questionable refereeing decisions, said: "I think they should have dubious offside and dubious foul panels as well!"

CITY face a trip to Preston as they open this season's FA Youth Cup campaign. The tie has to be played by December 12.