This is what Craig Bellamy said after scoring for Newcastle United against Sunderland

“Take a look out of the window,” said Graeme Souness on the other end of the line.

Sat on the sofa in my flat, I looked out of the window before he could complete his sentence.

Souness went on: “Can you see any pink pigs flying past?”

This was January 2005, and I had just phoned Souness to ask if there was any way back at Newcastle United for Craig Bellamy, who had had another high-profile row with the club’s combative manager over his non-involvement in a game against Arsenal.

Souness had gone off the record to answer the question in a roundabout way.

No, not surprisingly, there weren’t any pink pigs flying past – and no, there wasn’t a way back for Bellamy, who was loaned to Celtic at the end of the month.

I was reminded of that phone call by a recent interview with Souness, who suggested he would be “less aggressive” if he had his time again as a manager.