Three Lions Squad Strength Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Wales Boss Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: England v Wales
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
The Wales head coach states the English player pool is so impressive that matchmakers would not pair them against the Welsh team.
The Welsh squad meet their neighbors in a friendly at the national stadium on Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against the Belgians next Monday.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has omitted the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish from his squad for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against the Latvian team.
"England have a incredible squad, like France," Bellamy said.
"England have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is £170m. Were you a boxing promoter, you wouldn't match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy says ensuring the Welsh team can face the star-studded rivals is a "driving force".
Bellamy added: "Our team don't go off market prices, but the simple fact is England don't just have one team. They possess two, three, four and the French and others are similarly stacked. They have many great players and that's the honest truth."
"A defender was ruled out injured the recently and there are two dozen others to go! They have 60-odd footballers. I wish Wales to be well-equipped like them."
These two nations most recently met at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when the English ran out easy 3-0 winners in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side reached the last eight.
Southgate's successor is Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup winner at Chelsea who has won league championships in Ligue 1 and his home country.
The Welsh boss was previously an assistant at the Belgian side and the English club to Kompany, who succeeded Tuchel at Bayern Munich.
"Tuchel's an outstanding coach - his achievements speak for themselves," Bellamy added.
"I have a degree of insight because the club he left I am familiar with individuals who have joined. I gain a bit of an insight from that of how he works and it's very impressive. "
"His tactical detail 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 get to that level."
Welsh Squad List
Keepers: Darlow (Leeds), Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (the Toffees).
Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Spurs), Kpakio (Cardiff City), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joel Colwill (Cardiff City), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from Liverpool), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff City).
