England Squad Strength Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Wales Manager Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
The Wales head coach says England's player pool is remarkable that a boxing promoter wouldn't pair them with the Welsh team.
Bellamy's men meet England in a friendly at the national stadium on Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against Belgium next the following week.
England manager Tuchel has left the such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Grealish from his squad for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against Latvia.
"England have a ridiculous team, like France," Bellamy remarked.
"They have a transfer market value of £1.4bn, Wales' is £170m. If you were a fight promoter, you would not put us together. It wouldn't be allowed."
Bellamy explains making sure Wales can face the star-studded opponents is a "driving force".
The Wales head coach added: "We 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 loads of great players and that's a fact."
"One right-back was ruled out with injury the recently and there's only 24 more to go! They have over sixty players. I wish Wales to be stacked like them."
These two nations most recently met at the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East, when England ran out easy victors in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side reached the last eight.
The new manager is Tuchel, a European and Fifa Club World Cup winner at the London club who has claimed league championships in France and his native Germany.
Bellamy was formerly an coach at Anderlecht and the English club to Kompany, who succeeded Tuchel at the German giants.
"Tuchel's an incredible coach - his record is proven," Bellamy added.
"I have a degree of understanding because the team he departed I know individuals who have gone in there. I gain a bit of an insight from that of how he works and it's remarkable. "
"His strategic planning is top level and I wanted to be up against such a challenge - see how you're going to adapt because he adapts too. I can learn from that. I'd love to reach that level."
Wales Team List
Keepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester - loaned by Rennes), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Mark Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from the Reds), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).
