Bellamy, 29, will start his first competitive international for a year when he leads out Wales against Liechtenstein in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium for a World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

Many players of the West Ham striker's age, who have endured the catalogue of injuries that the Cardiff-born star has been confronted with, would seriously consider quitting the international stage to prolong their club careers.

But Bellamy has made it very clear he has no intention of following that course.

Bellamy said: "International football will give me up before I quit international football.

"But I am not going to retire from international football, I have missed too many games for Wales for me to want to pack it in.

"I understand why some players think differently, and I respect their decisions.

"But it would not be right for me to do the same. To stop playing for Wales, to stop coming home to Cardiff."

Bellamy will win his 51st cap against Liechtenstein, having made his debut for his country 10 years ago against Jamaica at Ninian Park.

He has overcome abdominal, hamstring and groin injuries in the past 12 months and has still to start a game for West Ham this term.

But he said: "I still believe I can play in a major finals. And there is not much time left.

"I had one good crack at it under Mark Hughes when we lost a Euro 2004 play-off against Russia. We had started so well but could not maintain the form.

"That was my closest. We have a lot of young players in the squad now who are capable of qualifying for a finals.

"Let's face it, it is more important for Wales to qualify than for me to.

"But over the last few years we have not had the players or the team capable of doing so, which has been a major disappointment for me.

"But for me pulling on a Wales shirt it the greatest honour. To miss any more internationals after the problems I have had is not something I want to do.

"As far as these current injury problems are concerned, I am just happy to be playing. I just want to get through 90 minutes and still be healthy."

Bellamy's absence from the international scene has been a shattering long term blow.

He explained: "I feel that if I had not had so many injuries I would be nearer to 90 or 100 caps now rather than just having reached 50.

"But I have had injuries all my career and have come back. Now I still believe that the best years of my career are still to come.

"And I want to play at the very top with Wales. It is what I have been working towards all this time.

"I will only walk away from my career if I believe I cannot improve any longer.

"There is a lot more to come from me, I will only step away when I cannot do it anymore."

Bellamy is confident that his young side can achieve on the international stage.

He said: "We have some very good players who are 18 or 19. Let's see what they are like when they are 24, that is the challenge for them.

"So let's keep our fingers crossed that they will keep improving, and I can hang on with them."

Bellamy also revealed that he will take any penalties in this group four match, with Jason Koumas and Gareth Bale missing the last two penalties Wales have been awarded in successive matches.

He said: "I'm on penalty duty. I'm captain and we have missed the last two. So I will take them."