Bellamy inspired by Dyer

Striker insists team-mate played integral part in his recovery

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 26th October 2008

Craig Bellamy West Ham United Hampton and Richmond Pre Season Friendly

Bellamy: Admits Dyer spurred him on

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Craig Bellamy could return to action for West Ham against Arsenal this afternoon and has revealed that he could not have recovered from his latest injury set-back without the help of team-mate Kieron Dyer.

Both were team-mates at Newcastle and both have recently spent time on the sidelines with serious knee injuries.

The pair have been spurring each other on in the gym in a bid to get back to full fitness.

He said: "We've both been doing three sessions a day to try to get back. We're both pretty competitive people so we've really been pushing each other to see who can do the most in a workout.

"If we're running I want to run further than him and if we're rowing I want to row for longer.

"You get really into it and it helps keep you going. We've both driven each other on."

Bellamy's latest set-back saw him undergo his seventh knee operation of his career and he admits that the injuries have taken their toll on his body.

Strenuous

He said: "I'll get to 33 and see what my body tells me but it has taken a battering. I'm the sort of player who invites challenges and that's why I've had so many injuries.

"There have been some real lows and it really takes it out of you. Not just the injuries, but the surgeries and the rehabs are really tough times.

"The pain every day is tough."

Despite the set-backs Bellamy is not worried that his pace has diminished and insists he will be as fast as ever.

He said: "I'm not worried that I've lost any pace. As soon as I could do any strenuous running I was working on my speed because it's such a large part of my game. I'll just be the same as I was."

Bellamy admits that any match against Arsenal is tough but with the Gunners coming off the back of a 5-2 victory over Fenerbahce the match-up will be twice as hard.

He said: "My experiences of playing against Arsenal are pretty much the same as the rest of the Premier League's.

"You just never get a kick. There was nobody happier than me when they knocked Highbury down - I'd watched so many games there because I could just not get the ball.

"But it's a good game for me to be involved in while I'm trying to get my fitness back, because I'll have to do a lot of running."