Bellamy apologises and pledges future to Newcastle

Graeme Souness, the Newcastle United manager, has accepted an apology from Craig Bellamy after their training ground altercation on Tuesday, but warned the Wales striker that he has to play by his rules.

Graeme Souness, the Newcastle United manager, has accepted an apology from Craig Bellamy after their training ground altercation on Tuesday, but warned the Wales striker that he has to play by his rules.

Bellamy has attempted to pacify his manager after the dispute, which was prompted by his reaction to being substituted in the draw at Charlton Athletic on Sunday.

Souness yesterday accepted that Bellamy regretted his actions. "Sometimes people get bashed up and you have to deal with it. I'm not happy with his reaction at being substituted and I've pointed out what I want from him and the rest of the group - and I don't expect it to happen again," he said.

Souness added: "I don't have to go into or explain my reason for substituting him. But he had played two games for Wales prior to Charlton and both were very hard games. He lost both games so psychologically couldn't be right, but he gave us a very good 70 minutes [at Charlton] and scored a goal. But I try to protect players for future games. It's the bigger picture that players fail to see and it's my job to see it.

"He's a cracking little player but he has to learn the rules you have to adhere by. You can't give up on players like him because of the kind of spat we had. I want him at the club but it has to be on my terms."

Bellamy said: "I was out of order for what I did at The Valley on Sunday and I want to apologise to the manager. I knew within 10 seconds what I did was wrong."

The incident prompted a further showdown at the club's training ground on Tuesday, a matter of hours before the squad flew out to Greece for last night's Uefa Cup game against Panionios. Bellamy added: "I know there is only so much the club and the fans can take and I know I have been to blame for what has happened in the past. But I also know that I have achieved nothing in this game.

"And not only that, I know I will never get a better club than Newcastle. There is no other club I want to play for and I haven't any problems with what the manager is trying to do.

"Since the arrival of Patrick Kluivert, we have a lot of top strikers here and I have never been as determined at any time in my career as I am at this moment in time. I can only look at the next two-and-half years I have left on my contract here and hope to help this club win something.

"There are two routes I can go down and I know which one I will be taking."