Hartson wants Bellamy to stay
Tuesday, 26 April 2005 14:07John Hartson has urged Craig Bellamy to pledge his future to Celtic beyond the end of the season.
Bellamy has been a revelation since his January loan move from Newcastle and Celtic chiefs have made no secret of their desire to hold onto him.
The 25-year-old striker has already attracted admiring glances from otherBarclays Premiership sides and Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are the latest club to express an interest.
Hartson knows better than most just how influential Bellamy is as a result of their time together with the Wales national team.
And he would love to continue the relationship at both club and country level.
He told the club's official website, www.celticfc.co.uk: "You know the kind of class that he's capable of producing. He's a top player - that's why there are so many clubs who want him - and it would be fantastic if we could hold on to him a bit longer."
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell reiterated his desire to make Bellamy's move to Celtic Park a permanent one following his Old Firm performance at the weekend.
He said: "Anyone watching Craig Bellamy on Sunday could not fail to see he is a special player. I'm already on record as saying we'll do everything in our power to keep him at Celtic Park.
"He will no doubt have several offers on the table but he's certainly a player everyone connected with the club wants to keep here. There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration - not least where Craig wants to play his football next season. But, hopefully, his experience at Celtic has been an overwhelmingly positive one and this can only be a major plus in our favour."
A return south of the border had seemed most likely but Bayern Munich have raised the stakes by admitting Bellamy caught their eye during Sunday's game.
Bayern Munich deputy chairman Uli Hoeness, who was at Ibrox, said: "There were two or three players we had discussed and we wanted to see. In my opinion, Bellamy was the best player on the field."
