Three Lions Squad Strength Labelled 'Absurd' - Wales Boss Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: England v Wales
Venue: London's Wembley, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
The Wales head coach says England's player pool is remarkable that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them with the Welsh team.
The Welsh squad meet England in a friendly at the national stadium on this Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against Belgium next the following week.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has omitted the likes of Bellingham, Foden and Grealish out of his squad for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against Latvia.
"The English have a ridiculous squad, similar to France," Bellamy remarked.
"They have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is £170m. Were you a boxing promoter, you would not match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."
He says ensuring the Welsh team can face the star-studded rivals is a "driving force".
Bellamy added: "Our team do not rely on values, but the reality is they don't just have one team. They possess two, three, four and France and other nations are similarly stacked. They have loads of great players and that's the honest truth."
"A defender was ruled out with injury the recently and there are two dozen others to go! They've got 60-odd players. I wish us to be well-equipped similarly."
These two nations most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East, when the English emerged as easy victors in a group match before the previous England team made it to the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup winner at Chelsea who has claimed domestic titles in France and his home country.
Bellamy was formerly an coach at Anderlecht and the English club to Kompany, who succeeded Tuchel at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an outstanding manager - his achievements is proven," Bellamy noted.
"I possess some sort of understanding because the team he departed I am familiar with individuals who have gone in there. I gain a glimpse there of his methods and it's remarkable. "
"His tactical detail is elite and I wanted to be facing such a challenge - see how we adjust because he adapts too. I will get to learn from it. I aspire to reach such heights."
Wales Squad Selection
Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Spurs), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Lawlor (Cardiff), Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester - on loan from Rennes), Sheehan (Bolton), Thomas (Stoke City), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Liam Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from Liverpool), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).
