Three Lions Team Depth Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Wales Manager Craig Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: England v Wales
Venue: London's Wembley, London Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Craig Bellamy says the English player pool is remarkable that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them against his Wales side.
Bellamy's men face England in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against Belgium next the following week.
National team coach Tuchel has omitted the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish out of his squad for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
"The English have a incredible squad, similar to the French," Bellamy remarked.
"England have a market valuation of £1.4bn, ours is £170m. If you were a fight promoter, you would not match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy says making sure Wales can compete with the star-studded rivals is a "key motivation".
The Wales head coach continued: "Our team don't go off values, but the simple fact is England don't just have a single lineup. They have multiple and France and other nations have the same level. England have many great players and that's a fact."
"One right-back went out injured the other day and there's only 24 more to choose from! They have over sixty footballers. I'd love us to be well-equipped similarly."
These two nations most recently met at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when England ran out easy victors in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side reached the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Tuchel, a European and Fifa Club World Cup winner at Chelsea who has claimed league championships in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.
Bellamy was previously an assistant at Anderlecht and the English club to Kompany, who replaced him at Bayern Munich.
"He's an outstanding manager - his record speak for themselves," he noted.
"I have some sort of insight because the team he departed I know individuals who have gone in there. I gain a bit of an insight there of how he works and it's very impressive. "
"His strategic planning is top level and I aimed to be up against that - see how we adjust because he will. I can learn from it. I aspire to reach such heights."
Welsh Squad List
Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), Jordan James (Leicester City - on loan from Stade Rennais), Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Thomas (Stoke City), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Forwards: Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford United), Koumas (Birmingham - loaned by the Reds), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).
