England Squad Depth Labelled 'Absurd' - Welsh Manager Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: England v Wales
Venue: London's Wembley, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy states the English player pool is so impressive that matchmakers wouldn't match them with his Wales side.
Bellamy's men meet England in a friendly at the national stadium on this Thursday before their important qualifying match against the Belgians next Monday.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has left the such as Bellingham, Phil Foden and Grealish out of his squad for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
"England have a ridiculous team, like France," Bellamy remarked.
"England have a transfer market value of £1.4bn, Wales' is 170 million. Were you a fight promoter, you would not match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy explains ensuring Wales can compete with the talented opponents is a "driving force".
Bellamy continued: "We don't go off market prices, but the simple fact is they don't just have a single lineup. They have multiple and France and other nations are similarly stacked. England have many great players and that's the honest truth."
"One right-back went out injured the recently 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 emerged as easy 3-0 winners in a group match before the previous England team reached the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and world club champion at Chelsea who has won domestic titles in France and his home country.
The Welsh boss was previously an assistant at Anderlecht and Burnley to Vincent Kompany, who succeeded him at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an outstanding coach - his achievements is proven," Bellamy added.
"I possess a degree of insight because the team he departed I am familiar with people who have gone in there. I get 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 such a challenge - see how you're going to adapt because he adapts too. I can learn from it. I'd love to reach that level."
Wales Squad List
Keepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), King (the Toffees).
Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), Ben Davies (Spurs), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester - loaned by Rennes), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (Fulham), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea City), Mark Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from the Reds), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).
