Bellamy said: “It was an amazing occasion and the biggest night of my life. It was incredible when you consider the tempo and everything about the match. I have never experienced a game at this level.
“It is all about team spirit. When you come to a club like Liverpool, with what they have won like the European Cup the season before and then the FA Cup, it is all about spirit.
“There is always a great team spirit anyway. But when you arrive and mix with these players, you know it is a family club.
“You come in and you are all together. Against a team like Barcelona everyone has to contribute and that is what has happened.
“Over two legs usually the best team goes through and we were the best team. Did we prove people wrong? It wasn’t an issue, not many of the critics get it right anyway.
“But that is the beauty of the game. You never know what is going to happen. In a great competition like this against a great side like this we still had a chance. In the first half we hit the bar twice and really took the game to them.
“The second half was very difficult. They really stepped up a level and we were hanging on a bit.
“Now I will watch the other games tonight and see who goes through, see who we get on Friday in the quarter-final draw. But it is going to be a tough game, that’s for sure.”
He added: “Hopefully we can carry on the momentum as we have just beaten the European champions. I was a little bit worried on the bench late on, and didn’t know whether to go inside and watch it on the telly.
“But I can’t remember them having a proper chance after the goal. There were not that many nervous moments, but Barcelona can cut you open.
“We had to concentrate all the way through but credit to our defence as well. That was my first start in the Champions League at Anfield so it was really special.”
