England Squad Strength Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Welsh Manager Craig Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: England v Wales
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Craig Bellamy states England's player pool is so impressive that matchmakers would not match them against the Welsh team.
Bellamy's men face their neighbors in a friendly at Wembley on this Thursday before their important qualifying match against the Belgians next the following week.
England manager Tuchel has omitted the such as Bellingham, Foden and Grealish out of his selection for the Wales friendly and their qualifying game against Latvia.
"The English have a incredible squad, like France," Bellamy remarked.
"They have a market valuation of £1.4bn, ours is 170 million. Were you a fight promoter, you would not match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy says ensuring the Welsh team can face the talented opponents is a "driving force".
Bellamy added: "Our team don't go off market prices, but the reality is England have more than a single lineup. They possess two, three, four and France and others are similarly stacked. They have many great players and that's a fact."
"One right-back was ruled out injured the other day and there are two dozen others to choose from! They've got over sixty players. I'd love us to be stacked like them."
These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East, when the English emerged as easy 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 Chelsea who has claimed league championships in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.
The Welsh boss was previously an coach at Anderlecht and the English club to Vincent Kompany, who succeeded Tuchel at the German giants.
"He's an incredible manager - his record is proven," Bellamy added.
"I possess a degree of understanding because the team he departed I know individuals who have gone in there. I get a bit of an insight there of how he works and it's remarkable. "
"His strategic planning is top level and I wanted to be facing that - see how we adjust because he adapts too. I will get to learn from it. I aspire to reach such heights."
Wales Squad List
Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester City - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke City), H. Wilson (Fulham), J. Colwill (Cardiff), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City).
Forwards: Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from Liverpool), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).
