Three Lions Team Strength Called 'Absurd' - Welsh Boss Bellamy
- Published
Friendly match: Wales vs England
Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: October 9th Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Craig Bellamy says the English player pool is remarkable that matchmakers wouldn't match them against his Wales side.
The Welsh squad face England in a non-competitive match at Wembley on Thursday before their important qualifying match against Belgium next Monday.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has left the likes of Jude Bellingham, Foden and Jack Grealish from his selection for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against the Latvian team.
"The English have a incredible squad, similar to France," the coach said.
"They have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is £170m. Were you a fight promoter, you would not match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."
He explains ensuring Wales can face the talented rivals is a "key motivation".
Bellamy added: "We don't go off values, but the simple fact is England don't just have one team. They possess multiple and the French and others have the same level. They have loads of great players and that's the honest truth."
"One right-back was ruled out injured the recently and there are two dozen others to go! They've got 60-odd players. I wish us to be stacked like them."
These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the English emerged as easy victors in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side made it to the quarter-finals.
The new manager is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup winner at the London club who has claimed domestic titles in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.
The Welsh boss was previously an assistant at the Belgian side and the English club to Vincent Kompany, who succeeded him at Bayern Munich.
"Tuchel's an incredible coach - his record is proven," he noted.
"I have some sort of insight because the team he departed I am familiar with people who have gone in there. I gain a glimpse there of his methods and it's remarkable. "
"His tactical detail is top level and I wanted to be up against that - see how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from it. I aspire to get to such heights."
Wales Team Selection
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds), Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (Everton).
Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Spurs), Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Forest).
Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester City - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Thomas (Stoke City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), R. Colwill (Cardiff).
Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford United), Koumas (Birmingham City - loaned by the Reds), Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).
