Bellamy says he has a “gift” of not taking what people say to heart, but he will have heard queries over his commitment before.
“I think with my body of work over the years, I don’t think I need to say too much about that,” he said, after announcing his squad for the first four games of the new Nations League campaign – the first international matches since the Burnley saga.
“I think my commitment has always been there and I’ve proven that over the years.
“I remember I had to go and get solicitors’ letters from independent people because my club at the time were trying to tell me not to play [for Wales] and they would sue me if I did. I haven’t seen anyone else do that.”
He is not wrong.
There are other examples of Bellamy’s commitment to Welsh football.
He donated money to Wrexham when they were in financial difficulty during his playing days, while there have been claims that he has not claimed expenses from the Football Association of Wales (FAW) either as a Wales player or coach.
“Wales is way more important to me,” he said. “I don’t believe I have to ever try to win anyone over with that.”
But has the Burnley episode changed that?
Bellamy has denied that his decision not to join the club side was based on an issue with backroom staff. He says that instead it came down to what he felt was right, and that he left a lucrative offer on the table.
He suspected that Burnley had expected him to take the job and felt there was surprise and disappointment when he said no.
“I had a sleepless night because I knew it had become real,” added Bellamy.
“I have to be honest, I woke up in the morning and it wasn’t there. I didn’t have that feeling of going into a meeting and grabbing it.
“You don’t know until that moment comes, but to me, it has to mean the most to me.”
But is that enough for some? Or – as Bellamy himself has suggested – will it take a return to winning ways and putting World Cup disappointment to bed to fully draw a line under things?
