Three Lions Squad Strength Labelled 'Absurd' - Welsh Boss Craig Bellamy

• Published 1 hour ago

International friendly: England v Wales

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: October 9th Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST

The Wales head coach says the English squad depth is so impressive that matchmakers wouldn't pair them against the Welsh team.

Bellamy's men meet England in a friendly at Wembley on this Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against the Belgians next the following week.

National team coach Tuchel has left the likes of Bellingham, Foden and Grealish out of his selection for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against Latvia.

"The English have a incredible squad, similar to the French," the coach remarked.

"They have a transfer market value of £1.4bn, ours is £170m. If you were a boxing promoter, you wouldn't put us together. That wouldn't be permitted."

Bellamy explains making sure the Welsh team can face the talented opponents is a "driving force".

Bellamy added: "We do not rely on market prices, but the reality is England have more than one team. They have multiple and France and other nations have the same level. They have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."

"One right-back went out injured the other day and there's only two dozen others to go! They have 60-odd players. I wish us to be well-equipped like them."

These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when the English ran out easy victors in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side made it to the last eight.

The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a European and Fifa Club World Cup winner at Chelsea who has won domestic titles in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.

Bellamy was previously an coach at the Belgian side and the English club to Vincent Kompany, who replaced Tuchel at Bayern Munich.

"He's an outstanding coach - his record is proven," he noted.

"I have a degree of insight because the team he departed I know individuals who have joined. 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 wanted to be facing that - observe how you're going to adapt because he will. I can learn from it. I'd love to get to that level."

Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), King (the Toffees).

Backline: Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff), Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Forest).

Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (the Cherries), Jordan James (Leicester - loaned by Rennes), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff).

Forwards: Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea), Harris (Oxford United), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham - loaned by Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).