Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy has said there is no rift between him and Brazilian star Robinho.

The Welsh star and Robinho apparently had heated words after City's recent loss to Portsmouth and there was speculation suggesting that Bellamy wanted the former Real Madrid ace out of the City of Manchester Stadium.

However, Bellamy has revealed that none of this is true and that he rates Robinho highly.

"I am a massive admirer of Robinho. I adore him as a player," Bellamy told the club's official website.

"How could you not? He is an exceptional talent. A lot of teams know how good he is, too, and set out to stop him.

"He is our talisman and when people think of Manchester City at the moment it is Robinho and that is a worldwide thing.

"He is our biggest player by a mile and our best player and for us he is a man who needs to be performing at his best every week."