The Welsh striker is too afraid to leave his house on the
outskirts of his hometown for fear of being mobbed - and it can
only get worse after his sensational goalscoring debut in
Saturday's 4-0 crushing of Doncaster.
The on-loan Manchester City star said: "I can't describe how
this feels.
"I grew up here and played and watched a lot of football in
Cardiff. Playing for my hometown club is a dream come true. This
will always be my home.
"But I've had a bit of a shock because my life has changed. This
was the one place where I always felt I had a private life.
"I didn't have that in London, Manchester, Glasgow or anywhere
else I've played but I had it here. Not this past week though."
Bellamy, 31, added: "I was more worried before this game than
any other because impressing these fans means so much to me.
"They didn't let me down with their welcome and, hopefully, I
gave them something back."
Manchester City boss Mancini made no secret of his admiration
for Liverpool's super striker over the summer and hinted he would
make a bid.
But the Merseysiders were determined to hang on to the
£50million-rated star so Mancini had to look elsewhere.
And he believes the £22.5m he paid Inter Milan for Balotelli
will prove to be much better value for money.
The two hitmen could go head-to-head tonight as big-spenders
City host the Reds at Eastlands.
Mancini said: "Torres is a fantastic striker but I think it was
difficult for Liverpool to sell him because he's such an important
player for them.
"But it's good for us that we got Balotelli instead.
"Balotelli could be even better than Torres because Torres can
only play as a striker. Balotelli can play as a striker or as a
winger.
"What is sure is we are talking about two fantastic
players."
Balotelli only celebrated his 20th birthday on August 12 but
Mancini, who also worked with him at Inter, believes he is already
one of the best in the world.
Mancini said: "In my view, there are eight or nine fantastic
strikers in the world - and Torres and Balotelli are two of
them.
"Then there's Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo, Tevez and Messi. They're all
fantastic players and we've managed to get one of them."
Premier League sides know all about Torres, 26, who has been
terrorising defenders in England for three years.
But Balotelli is a surprise package and his debut in the Europa
League qualifier last Thursday suggested he will be real
handful.
He scored the only goal against Romanians Timisoara but picked
up a knee injury. Yet scans revealed no serious damage and he is
expected to feature tonight.
Mancini added: "He is suited to the Premier League because it is
different to Italy's Serie A. The defenders do not know much about
him but they will see he can change everything about a game. It's
the same with Carlos Tevez.
"I saw Mario four years ago when he was 16. It was the last five
games of the Serie A championship.
"Zlatan Ibrahimovic was injured and we played Mario inside and
he played like someone of 30 years old. That's because he has good
technique - he has everything.
"Mario is young, always wants to play and always wants to
score."
Mancini shares a common bond with his Kop opposite number Roy
Hodgson as they have both managed Inter. And City's Italian chief
reckons the Reds could be the surprise contenders for the Premier
League title under the careful stewardship of Hodgson.
He said: "Roy is a good manager. I know him very well as he
worked in Italy for many years. He is like me - and that is a good
thing!
"Liverpool are a strong team and have only changed the manager -
they have kept all the players they had last year. That means they
can challenge for the title."
City keeper Joe Hart is ready to face Torres if the Spaniard is
handed a first start the season by Hodgson. And while he rates the
former Atletico Madrid star as world-class, he reckons City have
players who fall into the same bracket.
England's new first-choice stopper said: "Torres had a difficult
summer but you know for a fact that at any moment he can turn it on
and score.
"You have to be aware of that with world-class players but we
have a few ourselves.
"Liverpool will challenge for the title. Having a new manager
changes a lot and a few people feel they have fresh chances and
stuff to prove.
"But that's exactly how we feel at City so it should be an
interesting game."
