Bell, known for his thirteen-year spell at Manchester City, is regarded as one of the club's greatest-ever players,[3] and was part of the Bell–Lee–Summerbee trio in the late 1960s and 1970s.

[4][5] Bell made 48 appearances for the England national football team; he was an unused squad member at UEFA Euro 1968 and played in three matches at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

One of his goals came in the famous 4–1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur, at Maine Road, which was dubbed the "Ballet on Ice" due to the snowy conditions in which the game was played.

After the game, legendary centre forward Dixie Dean informed Allison that the City team which had beaten Spurs was "the most brilliant side I have ever seen".

In the game, Lee and Summerbee stretched the Spurs defence allowing Bell a clear run at a slowing Dave Mackay which overwhelmed the Scotsman.

In the 1973–74 season, Bell helped City reach the 1974 Football League Cup Final, in which he scored in a 2–1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In November 1975, at the age of 29, Bell severely injured his right knee against Manchester United in a challenge with Martin Buchan during a League Cup match at Maine Road.

Bell's prolonged absence due to his injury was a blow to Don Revie, who quit as manager of England in 1977.

[24] This latter sentiment turned out to be true as Allison was not able to find a trio of talented players of the calibre of Bell, Summerbee and Lee as he had done in the past with Joe Mercer.

Bell's testimonial took place in December 1978 and involved a Manchester team combining players from both Manchester City (such as Joe Corrigan, Willie Donachie, David Watson, Gary Owen, Asa Hartford and Peter Barnes) and Manchester United (such as Brian Greenhoff, Martin Buchan, Steve Coppell and Joe Jordan) and a Merseyside team combining players from both Liverpool (such as Ray Clemence, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness) and Everton (such as Mick Lyons and Bob Latchford).

[25] Bell tried to resurrect his career in 1980 with NASL side San Jose Earthquakes, where he joined former Manchester United player George Best.

[31] Later in the same month, Bell won his first cap for the senior England team against Sweden, where he helped inspire goals from Martin Peters, Bobby Charlton and Roger Hunt in a 3–1 victory.

[35] In 1969, Bell distinguished himself in the national team, scoring England's only goal in a 1–0 victory over the Netherlands in an "all-action display".

Brian Glanville contended that both Bell and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alan Mullery excelled on the tour.

In order to help the players acclimatise to the heat of Mexico, the team staged an intra-squad mini-olympics which saw Bell win every event.

Charlton asserted that the absence of Gordon Banks (he was replaced in goal by Peter Bonetti) through sickness was the most important factor in England's defeat to the West Germans.

[53] Geoff Hurst stated that "to suggest that Colin Bell's inclusion weakened the team is patently unfair".

[59] Bell also played in a 3–1[60] defeat and a 0–0 draw[61] with West Germany in 1972, which meant that England failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 1972.

In the first game, Sepp Maier had spilled a shot from Bell which Lee tapped in to equalise Uli Hoeneß' first half goal.

In November 1972, Bell "cashed in on clever approach work by Alan Ball to score the decisive winning goal" in a 1–0 victory over Wales in a World Cup qualification game at Ninian Park.

In the game Bell, along with Martin Peters and Tony Currie "dictated the pace and pattern of the match from midfield".

[70] Poland's goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski had been labelled "a clown" by Brian Clough before the match but turned in a man-of-the-match performance in which he repeatedly denied England's attackers (including Bell).

This included a 1–1 draw with East Germany, in "which Martin Dobson, (Colin) Bell and Trevor Brooking dominated the match in midfield".

It began with a superb 30-yard pass through the Czech defence by Channon and Bell, running like an antelope, slid the ball past the goalkeeper'.

Channon commented that he did not understand why Revie did not continue with this line-up which he considered was as good as any forward line England had had since 1970.

[90] In the game against the West Germans, the energy and tackling of Bell and Ball had freed Hudson to show his full range of playmaking skills.

[97] Bell was named in the provisional squad for the 1975–76 British Home Championship but was unable to feature due to injury.

[98] In January 1973, Bell played for the New European Common Market (NECM), alongside Peter Storey, Emlyn Hughes, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Alan Ball, in the match celebrating the admission to the European Common Market of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark.

[105] On 9 January 2021, the actor Timothy Dalton narrated a tribute to Bell on the BBC programme Football Focus.

Bell is regarded as one of England's finest-ever midfield players, being described by one commentator as "the most finished article in the modern game".