Three Lions Squad Depth Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Wales Boss Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: England v Wales
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
The Wales head coach says the English squad depth is remarkable that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them against the Welsh team.
The Welsh squad meet their neighbors in a friendly at Wembley on this Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against Belgium next Monday.
England manager Tuchel has omitted the such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Grealish out of his squad for the Wales friendly and their qualifying game against Latvia.
"The English have a incredible team, similar to France," the coach remarked.
"England have a market valuation of 1.4 billion pounds, Wales' is 170 million. Were you a boxing promoter, you would not match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."
He explains ensuring Wales can compete with the talented opponents is a "key motivation".
Bellamy added: "We don't go off market prices, but the simple fact is they don't just have one team. They have two, three, four and the French and other nations are similarly stacked. England have many great players and that's the honest truth."
"One right-back went out with injury the recently and there are two dozen others to go! They have over sixty footballers. I wish us to be well-equipped like them."
The neighbouring countries most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the English emerged as comfortable 3-0 winners in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side reached the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup winner at Chelsea who has won league championships in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.
The Welsh boss was formerly an assistant at Anderlecht and the English club to Kompany, who succeeded him at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an incredible manager - his record is proven," Bellamy noted.
"I possess some sort of insight because the team he departed I am familiar with individuals who have joined. I get a bit of an insight from that of how he works and it's remarkable. "
"His tactical detail is top level and I aimed to be up against that - observe how you're going to adapt because he will. I can learn from it. I aspire to get to that level."
Wales Squad List
Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (the Toffees).
Backline: Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Dasilva (Coventry), Ben Davies (Spurs), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds United), Brooks (the Cherries), Jordan James (Leicester City - on loan from Rennes), Sheehan (Bolton), Thomas (Stoke City), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).
Forwards: Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Cullen (Swansea), Harris (Oxford United), Koumas (Birmingham City - loaned by Liverpool), Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff).
