Bellamy's tattoo tribute to medieval Welsh nationalist Owain Glyndwr was two years in the making and is designed around the name of his son, Cameron, which was already emblazoned on his arm. The West Ham striker, who grew up on a tough council estate in Cardiff, is a confirmed patriot. He said only last week he will never retire from international football and after unveiling the artwork, he was keen to stress just how much his country means to him. When asked, he said: 'It's Owain Glyndwr. I've studied my Welsh history and he's my hero, what he stood for and who he was. So I've had the Battle of Pilleth depicted on my arm. It's my own design, but the artist came up with his ideas, too. We sort of bounced them off each other. The Battle of Pilleth was fought in 1402 and won by the Welsh, but the English triumphed in the return leg, so to speak.
Craig Douglas Bellamy (born 13 July 1979) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a winger/striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries. Since making his professional debut for Norwich City in 1997, he has played for a number of clubs in England, making his name at Newcastle United when signed by Bobby Robson in 2001 and has also had a loan spell with Scottish Premier League side Celtic in 2005. On 31 August 2011, Bellamy completed a move back to former club Liverpool from Manchester City. During his career, Bellamy has won the Scottish Cup and FA Community Shield. He has also been criticised for his behaviour both on and off the pitch, but has accumulated millions of pounds for various charities and has also established a football academy in Sierra Leone.
