Three Lions Squad Strength Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Wales Manager Craig Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: England v Wales
Venue: London's Wembley, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Craig Bellamy states England's player pool is remarkable that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them against his Wales side.
The Welsh squad face England in a non-competitive match at the national stadium on Thursday before their crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium next the following week.
National team coach Thomas Tuchel has left the such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Grealish out of his squad for the match against Wales and their World Cup qualifier against the Latvian team.
"The English have a incredible team, similar to France," the coach remarked.
"They have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is 170 million. If you were a fight promoter, you would not match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."
He explains making sure Wales can compete with the star-studded rivals is a "key motivation".
Bellamy continued: "We do not rely on values, but the simple fact is they don't just have a single lineup. They possess two, three, four and the French and other nations have the same level. England have many top talents and that's the honest truth."
"One right-back went out injured the recently and there's only two dozen others to choose from! They've got 60-odd footballers. I'd love us to be well-equipped similarly."
These two nations most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when England emerged as comfortable victors in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side made it to the last eight.
Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and world club winner at the London club who has won league championships in France and his home country.
The Welsh boss was previously an coach at Anderlecht and the English club to Kompany, who succeeded him at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an incredible coach - his record speak for themselves," Bellamy noted.
"I possess a degree of understanding because the team he departed I am familiar with people who have joined. I get a bit of an insight from that of how he works and it's remarkable. "
"His strategic planning is elite and I aimed to be up against that - observe how you're going to adapt because he will. I will get to learn from it. I'd love to reach such heights."
Welsh Team List
Keepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), King (the Toffees).
Backline: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Spurs), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (the Cherries), Jordan James (Leicester - on loan from Stade Rennais), Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Thomas (Stoke), H. Wilson (Fulham), J. Colwill (Cardiff), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea), Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham - loaned by the Reds), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff City).
