England Team Depth Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Wales Boss Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: Wales vs England
Venue: London's Wembley, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
The Wales head coach says the English player pool is remarkable that matchmakers wouldn't pair them against the Welsh team.
The Welsh squad face England in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before their crucial World Cup qualifier against the Belgians next the following week.
England manager Tuchel has left the such as Bellingham, Foden and Jack Grealish out of his squad for the match against Wales and their World Cup qualifier against the Latvian team.
"England have a incredible squad, like France," the coach said.
"England have a market valuation of £1.4bn, ours is 170 million. Were you a boxing promoter, you would not match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."
He explains ensuring the Welsh team can compete with the talented rivals is a "key motivation".
Bellamy continued: "We don't go off market prices, but the reality is they don't just have one team. They have multiple and the French and others are similarly stacked. They have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."
"A defender was ruled out with injury the other day and there are two dozen others to go! They've got over sixty players. I wish us to be well-equipped like them."
The neighbouring countries most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when England emerged as comfortable 3-0 winners in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side made it to the last eight.
Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a European and Fifa Club World Cup champion at the London club who has won league championships in France and his native Germany.
Bellamy was formerly an coach at Anderlecht and Burnley to Vincent Kompany, who succeeded Tuchel at Bayern Munich.
"He's an incredible coach - his record is proven," Bellamy noted.
"I have a degree of understanding because the team he departed I am familiar with individuals who have joined. I gain a glimpse there of how he works and it's remarkable. "
"His tactical detail is top level and I aimed to be up against such a challenge - observe how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from it. I aspire to reach that level."
Wales Squad List
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (the Toffees).
Defenders: Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff), Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (Bournemouth), J. James (Leicester - loaned by Stade Rennais), Sheehan (Bolton), Thomas (Stoke), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).
Forwards: Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).
