England Team Strength Called 'Ridiculous' - Wales Boss Craig Bellamy
- Published
International friendly: England v Wales
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
The Wales head coach says England's squad depth is so impressive that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them with the Welsh team.
Bellamy's men face their neighbors in a friendly at Wembley on this Thursday before their crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium next Monday.
National team coach Thomas Tuchel has omitted the such as Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish out of his squad for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against Latvia.
"The English have a ridiculous team, like France," the coach remarked.
"England have a market valuation of £1.4bn, ours is £170m. Were you a fight promoter, you would not match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."
He explains making sure Wales can compete with the star-studded rivals is a "driving force".
The Wales head coach added: "Our team do not rely on market prices, but the simple fact is England have more than one team. They possess multiple and the French and other nations have the same level. England have many top talents and that's a fact."
"One right-back was ruled out with injury the recently and there are 24 more to go! They have 60-odd footballers. I wish us to be stacked similarly."
The neighbouring countries last faced each other at the 2022 World Cup in the Middle East, when the English ran out comfortable victors in a group match before the previous England team made it to the quarter-finals.
Southgate's successor is Tuchel, a European and Fifa Club World Cup winner at the London club who has won league championships in Ligue 1 and his home country.
The Welsh boss was formerly an assistant at the Belgian side and Burnley to Kompany, who replaced him at the German giants.
"He's an outstanding manager - his record speak for themselves," he added.
"I have some sort of understanding because the team he departed I know people who have joined. I get a glimpse there of how he works and it's very impressive. "
"His tactical detail is elite and I wanted to be up against such a challenge - see how we adjust because he adapts too. I will get to learn from that. I aspire to get to that level."
Wales Team Selection
Keepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), King (Everton).
Backline: Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry), Ben Davies (Spurs), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Forest).
Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (the Cherries), Jordan James (Leicester City - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (the Red Dragons), Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford United), Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from Liverpool), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).
