England Team Strength Labelled 'Absurd' - Wales Boss Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy states the English player pool is remarkable that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them against his Wales side.
The Welsh squad meet England in a non-competitive match at Wembley on this Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against the Belgians next the following week.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has omitted the such as Jude Bellingham, Foden and Grealish from his squad for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
"The English have a ridiculous team, like the French," Bellamy said.
"They have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is 170 million. If you were a boxing promoter, you wouldn't match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."
Bellamy explains making sure Wales can compete with the star-studded opponents is a "driving force".
The Wales head coach continued: "We do not rely on values, but the simple fact is England don't just have a single lineup. They possess multiple and the French and other nations are similarly stacked. They have many top talents and that's a fact."
"One right-back went out injured the other day and there are two dozen others to go! They have over sixty players. I'd love us to be well-equipped similarly."
These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East, when England emerged as comfortable victors in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side made it to the last eight.
Southgate's successor is Tuchel, a Champions League and world club winner at the London club who has claimed league championships in France and his native Germany.
Bellamy was formerly an coach at Anderlecht and Burnley to Kompany, who succeeded him at Bayern Munich.
"He's an incredible manager - his record is proven," he added.
"I have some sort of insight because the team he departed I am familiar with people who have gone in there. I get a glimpse from that of how he works and it's very impressive. "
"His strategic planning is top level and I aimed to be facing that - observe how we adjust because he adapts too. I can learn from it. I'd love to get to such heights."
Welsh Squad Selection
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (the Toffees).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff City), Lawlor (Cardiff), Chris Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds), 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 City).
Forwards: Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from the Reds), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff).
