Celtic set to enter Bellamy fray

Scottish Premier League champions Celtic were reported to be putting together a loan deal for controverisial Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy.

Scottish Premier League champions Celtic were reported to be putting together a loan deal for controverisial Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy.

Earlier in the day the 25-year-old Wales striker rejected a six-million-pound permanent move to Birmingham.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill is looking to exploit the reluctance of Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd and manager Graeme Souness to sanction a loan move to another English Premiership side.

Souness decided he had had enough of Bellamy after the Wales striker feigned an injury ahead of last week's Arsenal game and then accused his manager of lying in a TV interview.

Bellamy may have decided to stick it out at St James Park in the hope that his future will be resolved in the summer when he may have more options.

If Bellamy remains a Newcastle player it could scupper Souness's hopes of bringing in a new striker on the last day of the January transfer window.

Newcastle have been linked with Portsmouth striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu but if Bellamy digs his heels in and stays the Magpies will have less room for manoeuvre in the transfer market.

Souness has made it crystal clear that Bellamy has no future at St James' Park while he is in charge.

Before the FA Cup win over Coventry he said: "He can't play for me ever again. He can't go on television and accuse me of telling lies.

"I'm not going to dwell on it, but I think in most walks of life that would be the case."

Bellamy has had more than his fair share of problems since his 6 million pound move from Coventry in 2001, but has impressed on the pitch.

His 128 appearances for the club have brought him 42 goals.

But injuries and off-the-field controversy have blighted Bellamy's time on Tyneside.

Former manager Bobby Robson put up with Bellamy's antics but Souness has not been prepared to let him get away with his behaviour.

The final straw came when, amid speculation that he could be used to lure Yakubu to the club, he feigned injury which led to a showdown meeting with the manager and chairman Freddy Shepherd.

Souness left him out of the squad to face Arsenal last Sunday, citing an injury as the reason, but Bellamy then gave two television interviews in which he put his side of the story.