Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy has admitted he could yet end up playing for Cardiff – but only if Roberto Mancini decides he no longer wants him.

The Blues forward, who turns 31 next month, insists he would not think of going anywhere else but his home-town club if ambitious City reluctantly  decide to let him go.

Previous boss Mark Hughes brought the striker to Eastlands from West Ham for £12m in January, 2009.

He has faced constant speculation about his future since Hughes was sacked and replaced by Mancini in December.

Bellamy’s wholehearted performances have won him many fans at Eastlands, while Mancini has always indicated that he sees the Welshman as a big part of his plans.

He scored 10 Premier League goals last season as City just missed out on a place in the Champions League.

But during a visit to Sierra Leone – where his charity, the Craig Bellamy Foundation, operates – Bellamy indicated that he may still have to consider a future away from the Eastlands outfit.

He said: “There’s more than one or two people run that club, so if I get the vote of confidence off five or six people, then I’ll stay.

“But if it’s a couple in other people’s favour, then it might be different – because I do want to be wanted, like every player does.

“I’ve never once – and I never would once – sit back and pick up my money.

“I just couldn’t do that to myself. It would be lying about who I am as a person, so I’ll probably look for that next challenge.

“But I’ll be very shocked if it’s another English club. I’d be very, very shocked.”

Bellamy’s family live in Cardiff, and he has indicated that any move away from Eastlands would have to be nearer to them.

That would appear to rule out any hopes Tottenham or Everton – both linked with the Welshman, along with German club Wolfsburg – might have of tempting him away from City.

Cardiff themselves were touted as a potential destination for Bellamy as they chased promotion to the Premier League.

But their hopes of pulling off a shock transfer appeared to have faded when they lost to Blackpool in the Championship play-off final.

But Bellamy’s comments suggest that a move to South Wales is not entirely out of the question.

He said: “Playing anywhere else in Europe would be too much of a strain on my family because they all live in Cardiff.

“So it really limits me to maybe one place, so that would probably be it.”

Cardiff, who were just pipped to promotion by outsiders Blackpool, have been beset by financial troubles, and face a winding-up order to settle a £1.9m tax bill on June 16.

But a consortium led by Malaysian businessman Dato Chan Tien Ghee has invested £6m to stabilise the club as they attempt to reach a settlement with HM Revenue and Customs.

A successful bid for Bellamy would be seen as a major statement of intent by the consortium as they begin to build for the future. 

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