Three Lions Team Depth Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Welsh Boss Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: England v Wales
Venue: London's Wembley, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Craig Bellamy says England's player pool is so impressive that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them with the Welsh team.
The Welsh squad meet England in a friendly at the national stadium on Thursday before their crucial World Cup qualifier against the Belgians next the following week.
National team coach Thomas Tuchel has left the likes of Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish out of his selection for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
"The English have a incredible team, like France," Bellamy remarked.
"They have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is 170 million. Were you a fight promoter, you would not put us together. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy says ensuring Wales can face the talented opponents is a "key motivation".
The Wales head coach added: "Our team do not rely on values, but the simple fact is England don't just have a single lineup. They possess two, three, four and France and others have the same level. England have many top talents and that's the honest truth."
"A defender was ruled out injured the recently and there's only 24 more to go! They have 60-odd players. I'd love us to be stacked like them."
These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when England ran out easy victors in a fixture before the previous England team reached the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Tuchel, a European and world club champion at the London club who has claimed domestic titles in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.
Bellamy was previously an coach at the Belgian side and Burnley to Kompany, who replaced him at the German giants.
"He's an outstanding manager - his record is proven," he added.
"I possess a degree of insight because the team he departed I know people who have joined. I get a bit of an insight from that of his methods and it's very impressive. "
"His tactical detail is top level and I aimed to be up against that - observe how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from that. I'd love to get to such heights."
Wales Squad List
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (the Toffees).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), Jordan James (Leicester - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), H. Wilson (Fulham), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea), Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from the Reds), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff City).
