England Team Strength Called 'Absurd' - Welsh Boss Craig Bellamy

• Published 1 hour ago

Friendly match: Wales vs England

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: October 9th Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST

Craig Bellamy states England's squad depth is so impressive that matchmakers would not match them against the Welsh team.

Bellamy's men face England in a non-competitive match at Wembley on Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against Belgium next Monday.

National team coach Thomas Tuchel has left the such as Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish out of his squad for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against the Latvian team.

"The English have a incredible squad, similar to the French," the coach said.

"They have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is 170 million. Were you a boxing promoter, you would not match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."

Bellamy says ensuring the Welsh team can compete with the talented rivals is a "key motivation".

The Wales head coach continued: "Our team don't go off values, but the reality is England have more than a single lineup. They possess two, three, four and France and others have the same level. England have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."

"A defender went out with injury the other day and there's only two dozen others to choose from! They've got over sixty footballers. I wish us to be well-equipped similarly."

These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when the English ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side 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 claimed domestic titles in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.

The Welsh boss was previously an coach at the Belgian side and the English club to Kompany, who replaced him at Bayern Munich.

"Tuchel's an incredible manager - his record is proven," he noted.

"I possess a degree of insight because the team he departed I am familiar with individuals who have gone in there. I get a bit of an insight from that of his methods and it's very impressive. "

"His tactical detail is top level and I aimed to be up against that - observe how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from that. I'd love to reach such heights."

Keepers: Darlow (Leeds), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (the Toffees).

Backline: Cabango (Swansea City), Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Spurs), Kpakio (Cardiff), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Nottingham Forest).

Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester - on loan from Stade Rennais), Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), Joel Colwill (Cardiff), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff).

Attackers: Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham City - loaned by the Reds), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).