Three Lions Team Strength Called 'Ridiculous' - Wales Boss Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy says the English player pool is remarkable that a boxing promoter would not pair them with the Welsh team.
Bellamy's men meet England in a non-competitive match at Wembley on this Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against Belgium next the following week.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has left the such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Grealish out of his squad for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against the Latvian team.
"England have a ridiculous squad, like France," the coach said.
"They have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, Wales' is £170m. If you were a fight promoter, you wouldn't put us together. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy explains ensuring the Welsh team can face the star-studded opponents is a "driving force".
The Wales head coach added: "Our team don't go off market prices, but the simple fact is England have more than one team. They have multiple and France and other nations have the same level. England have many top talents and that's the honest truth."
"A defender went out injured the recently and there are 24 more to go! They have over sixty players. I wish Wales to be stacked similarly."
The neighbouring countries last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, when the English ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in a group match before the previous England team reached the quarter-finals.
Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a European and Fifa Club World Cup champion at Chelsea who has claimed league championships in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.
The Welsh boss was previously an assistant at Anderlecht and the English club to Vincent Kompany, who succeeded him at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an incredible coach - his achievements is proven," Bellamy noted.
"I possess a degree of insight because the team he departed I know individuals who have gone in there. I get a bit of an insight from that of his methods and it's remarkable. "
"His strategic planning is top level and I wanted to be up against that - see how you're going to adapt because he will. I can learn from it. I'd love to get to that level."
Welsh Team List
Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Davies (Sheffield Utd), King (Everton).
Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Spurs), Kpakio (Cardiff), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Forest).
Midfield: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester - loaned by Rennes), Sheehan (Bolton), Thomas (Stoke City), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford United), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - loaned by Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).
