It is not so much the volume Bellamy is wary of - 384,000 for 'Craig Bellamy - Manchester City' alone - more the content.

Among the most notable inclusions are the infamous golf club incident involving John-Arne Riise during his single season at Liverpool and his astounding decision to leap off the Newcastle team bus at Highbury to phone Sky and, live on air, accuse his manager Graeme Souness of lying in the post-match interview he had conducted inside the stadium minutes earlier.

They are not incidents Bellamy is particularly proud of.

And, according to the Wales skipper, they are at odds with the reality of a fiercely determined character who, in five earnest minutes at City's Carrington training HQ, neatly summed up what his new club must do to reach the lofty status to which they aspire.

"I am under no illusions about the opinion most people have of me," he said.

"I don't think I will ever get away from it. If I ever did a book it would be called 'Don't Google Me'. Anyone who does will see why."

Bellamy did not use the word 'misunderstood' but he claims to be a far different person from the image that has been built around him, even if he does accept responsibility for the more unsavoury incidents.

"Not a lot of people have really got close to me," he said.

"I have this reputation and there have been incidents in the past which I hold my hand up to.

"No matter what I am perceived to be, I am actually a very private person and try to stay away from everything. Whether that sometimes annoys people, I don't know.

"But usually after a day or so at a new club my team-mates wonder what the fuss is all about."

Bellamy revealed an inner contentment, which was fostered mainly at West Ham, which is why the striker was so irritated by reports that he went on strike earlier this month in order to engineer a move away from Upton Park.

The 29-year-old, who will make his City debut against Newcastle tomorrow after his £10million move north, remains on good terms with Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola.

They spoke on Saturday immediately after his old club had beaten Hartlepool to reach the FA Cup fifth round and if Bellamy had been asked last summer where he would spend the remainder of his career, the answer would have been unequivocal.

"I was really enjoying life at West Ham. I wanted to do the whole five years there and become a favourite with the fans," he said.

"They had a lot of money and were going to sign a lot of players.

"But what happened with the Icelandic banks changed the whole situation and now they cannot do those things."

Once it became apparent Zola was willing to sell and the Hammers would not do a deal with Tottenham, Bellamy took the chance to work with Hughes for a third time after previous experiences with Wales and Blackburn.

Although he will forever be remembered as the player City did sign on the day Kaka said no, Bellamy can see strong shoots of growth emerging at Eastlands.

But, most importantly, if they are nurtured and developed with care, he believes they will last.

"I couldn't live with knowledge of maybe playing against Manchester City is 18 months' time, seeing some of the tremendous players they had knowing I could have been part of it," said Bellamy.

"At some point this club might go on to win the Champions League - and I will have been part of it.

"I know people think City are similar to Chelsea but they are not. Chelsea were a Champions League team when Roman Abramovich came in.

"The job of all the players here now is to establish the club in the top six. We can take the next step from there.

"You cannot bring players in and suddenly make the Champions League. Realistically it is not going to happen.

"Villa are having a real go at the moment but the top four are established. Once we get to the top six then, with the financial backing we have here, City can have a right go at the Champions League.

"I don't know where that will leave me but if those top new players need someone to clean their boots, I will be up for it."