England Team Strength Called 'Absurd' - Welsh Manager Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: England v Wales
Venue: London's Wembley, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
Craig Bellamy says England's player pool is so impressive that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them with his Wales side.
The Welsh squad meet England in a friendly at the national stadium on this Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against Belgium next the following week.
National team coach Tuchel has omitted the likes of Bellingham, Phil Foden and Grealish from his squad for the match against Wales and their World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
"England have a ridiculous team, similar to France," the coach said.
"England have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, Wales' is 170 million. Were you a fight promoter, you would not match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."
He says making sure Wales can face the star-studded rivals is a "driving force".
The Wales head coach continued: "Our team do not rely on market prices, but the reality is they have more than a single lineup. They possess multiple and the French and other nations are similarly stacked. England have many great players and that's a fact."
"One right-back went out injured the recently and there's only 24 more to choose from! They've got over sixty players. I wish us to be stacked like them."
These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East, when England emerged as easy victors in a group match before the previous England team reached the quarter-finals.
Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and world club winner at Chelsea who has won league championships in France and his home country.
The Welsh boss was formerly an coach at the Belgian side and the English club to Kompany, who replaced him at the German giants.
"He's an incredible manager - his record speak for themselves," Bellamy noted.
"I possess some sort of understanding because the team he departed I am familiar with people who have joined. I gain a glimpse from that of how he works and it's remarkable. "
"His tactical detail is top level and I wanted to be facing that - observe how we adjust because he adapts too. I can learn from it. I aspire to reach such heights."
Wales Team Selection
Keepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), King (Everton).
Backline: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Kpakio (Cardiff City), Lawlor (Cardiff), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Forest).
Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester - loaned by Rennes), Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from the Reds), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).
