England Squad Strength Labelled 'Ridiculous' - Welsh Manager Bellamy

• Published 60 minutes ago

International friendly: England v Wales

Venue: London's Wembley, the capital Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST

Craig Bellamy says England's player pool is remarkable that matchmakers would not match them against his Wales side.

The Welsh squad face England in a friendly at Wembley on this Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against Belgium next Monday.

National team coach Tuchel has left the likes of Bellingham, Foden and Jack Grealish from his squad for the match against Wales and their qualifying game against Latvia.

"England have a incredible team, like the French," Bellamy said.

"They have a transfer market value of £1.4bn, ours is £170m. Were you a fight promoter, you would not put us together. That wouldn't be permitted."

Bellamy says ensuring the Welsh team can face the star-studded opponents is a "key motivation".

Bellamy added: "Our team don't go off values, but the simple fact is they don't just have one team. They possess multiple and the French and others are similarly stacked. England have many great players and that's a fact."

"One right-back was ruled out injured the recently and there are 24 more to choose from! They have 60-odd players. I'd love Wales to be stacked like them."

These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when the English ran out easy victors in a fixture before the previous England team made it to the last eight.

Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a European and Fifa Club World Cup champion at the London club who has won league championships in Ligue 1 and his home country.

The Welsh boss was previously an coach at Anderlecht and the English club to Vincent Kompany, who replaced Tuchel at the German giants.

"He's an outstanding manager - his record is proven," he noted.

"I have some sort of understanding because the team he departed I know people who have joined. I get a glimpse from that of his methods and it's very impressive. "

"His tactical detail is top level and I aimed to be facing that - see how we adjust because he adapts too. I will get to learn from it. I aspire to reach such heights."

Keepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds United), Davies (Sheffield Utd), Tom King (Everton).

Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Spurs), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff), Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Forest).

Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).

Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea), Harris (Oxford United), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham - on loan from the Reds), Brennan Johnson (Spurs), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), I. Davies (Cardiff City).