Craig Bellamy: Why I Had to Hide Behind a Persona & How I Lead Wales With Honesty (E368)
The High Performance Podcast
High Performance
4.8 • 4.7K Ratings
🗓️ 1 September 2025
⏱️ 87 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Former Premier League star and manager of the Welsh national team Craig Bellamy is known for his fiery temper and relentless energy on the pitch. Once defined by chaos and controversy, he’s stepped into one of the most important roles in his country’s football history, carrying both pride and pressure as he leads Wales into a new era.
In this episode, Bellamy pulls back the curtain on his journey from volatile forward to thoughtful coach. He opens up about the infamous incidents that once dominated headlines, the mental health battles he faced after losing Gary Speed, and the therapy that gave him tools to keep moving forward.
Bellamy also speaks about the transformation that came with coaching, how working alongside Vincent Kompany taught him patience, balance, and the importance of boundaries.
This episode offers a story of resilience and redemption, showing how one of football’s most misunderstood figures is finding peace, purpose, and a second chance at defining his legacy.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | On the high performance app right now, an inspiring new conversation with racing driver and trailblazer, Nicholas Hamilton. |
| 0:08.6 | I have huge anxiety as well, but you've got to put up like Cape Bond then. |
| 0:12.9 | This is who I'm going to be then. Put the mask on, get ready, get going, fight. |
| 0:17.1 | When Speedo passed away, in a strange moment because he was going so well for him at Wales, |
| 0:22.2 | I really admired him. |
| 0:24.0 | It was like, what, if it can happen to him? |
| 0:25.1 | We're all in trouble. |
| 0:31.2 | Like I always say, I am here for the tiniest period, loving every second of being. |
| 0:33.3 | So when my time does come, I do not know when. |
| 0:34.9 | I go, woof, I was top. |
| 0:38.6 | That is the voice of Craig Bellamy, |
| 0:42.4 | former Premier League star and current manager of the Wales national team. |
| 0:47.2 | And you'll know Craig from his time at clubs like Newcastle, Liverpool, Man City or West Ham. |
| 0:48.6 | Norwich, of course, my favourite. |
| 0:53.6 | But behind the headlines and the reputation that Craig had was a far deeper story. |
| 0:57.1 | One of fear, anxiety, and this constant battle to stay in control. And oh my life, what a searingly honest conversation this is. Craig is |
| 1:04.0 | about to open up about his real journey from the beginning. I've read and seen so much about |
| 1:09.2 | Craig, but this stuff I've never heard him talk |
| 1:11.6 | about or seen him discuss. Craig's about to share why fear and insecurity drove him to the top, |
| 1:17.4 | but also robbed him of his joy. He shares the truth about his mental health, his drinking, |
| 1:22.2 | and why he created a persona just to survive in the world of elite football. He tells us what he learned from his dear |
| 1:29.0 | friend, Gary Speed, and the moment that he knew he had to seek help. And I love it when he talks |
... |
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