CRAIG Bellamy fired Wales on to a new plateau in world football - then paid tribute to his striking partners at both club and country.

The 23-year-old Newcastle United striker was the calmest man in the Millennium Stadium last night as he rounded Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon to slide home his fifth international goal and project the patriotic crowd into ecstasy.

The controversial Cardiff-born speedster, who is still returning to full fitness after a seven-month lay-off due to knee trouble, was put through by big fellow frontman John Hartson in the 71st minute to send Wales to the top of Group Nine on the road to Portugal.

And he should have been credited with a second - third for Wales - in the dying minutes as he left Alessandro Nesta for dead to fire past Buffon again - but French referee Gilles Veissiere blew-up after a foul by Luciano Zauri on Mark Delaney earlier in the build-up.

That was academic and Bellamy was quick to heap praise on gigantic Hartson and Newcastle skipper and former England striker Alan Shearer.

Bellamy beamed: "Holding the ball up is John Hartson's main strength.

"But his ball through for my goal was perfectly weighted, that's another side to his game.

"He's a top class player and there's a lot more to him than just being strong.

"Without John it will be very tough for Wales to play the game we like," he revealed. "He gives us that platform. John gets it wide and I get a lot of my possession from him."

Then turning to living legend Shearer, Bellamy, who underwent the same knee operation as the ex-England captain, admitted he is his idol.

"Alan Shearer is my role model," revealed Bellamy, won his 18th cap against Italy last night.

"I've had four operations on both my knees, I'm only 23 and I've missed two seasons of football. I did get very low.

"But then I look at someone like Alan who has missed so many years and had something like 12 operations - and he keeps coming back.

"That's a great role model for me because it proves you can do it if you work hard.

"Before the injury I had been playing well and being sidelined is hard to swallow, but everything happens for a reason. I've worked hard and I've got to this level because I have followed Alan's example."