Toshack tips Reds to keep Bellamy

By Mandeep Sanghera

Toshack believes Bellamy is starting to show his international form at club level

Wales manager John Toshack does not expect Liverpool to sell striker Craig Bellamy in the January transfer window.

Bellamy has been linked with a swap deal involving Tottenham's Jermain Defoe, with West Ham also believed to want the Welsh international.

Bellamy only moved to the Reds in the summer and Toshack told BBC Sport: "It would be very unusual for something like that to happen so quickly.

"I would be very surprised if that was the case."

Bellamy has scored just five goals since his £6m switch from Blackburn but netted a brace and set a goal up for Dirk Kuyt in the recent 4-0 win over Wigan.

He now seems to be finding his feet at the Merseyside club after being cleared of an assault charge but Toshack is reluctant to highlight that as a factor for Bellamy showing signs of returning to some of his best form.

I think at a club like Liverpool it takes time to settle John Toshack

"I don't know if it's the court case being over," said Toshack. "It might have for the first game against Wigan but the last three games he has played for Wales he has been outstanding.

"I made him captain for the Slovakia game and against them, Cyprus and Liechtenstein he was outstanding and they were all before the court case.

"I think at a club like Liverpool it takes time to settle.

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"Anfield is not like anywhere else and they have had a number of new players in there trying to settle in with the likes of Jermaine Pennant, Dirk Kuyt, Bellamy and Mark Gonzalez.

"It obviously takes a bit of time but certainly the game against Wigan was refreshing because he played that game the way that he has played the last three games for Wales."

Asked if he thought Bellamy had the ability to be a success at Liverpool, Toshack added: "No question about that."