Three Lions Team Depth Called 'Absurd' - Welsh Boss Bellamy

• Published 1 hour ago

Friendly match: England v Wales

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

Craig Bellamy says England's squad depth is remarkable that matchmakers wouldn't pair them with his Wales side.

Bellamy's men meet their neighbors in a non-competitive match at Wembley on Thursday before their important World Cup qualifier against the Belgians next Monday.

National team coach Thomas Tuchel has left the likes of Jude Bellingham, 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 transfer market value of £1.4bn, Wales' is 170 million. If you were a boxing promoter, you would not put us together. That wouldn't be permitted."

Bellamy explains making sure the Welsh team can face the talented rivals is a "key motivation".

Bellamy continued: "Our team do not rely on values, but the reality is England have more than a single lineup. They have multiple and France and others are similarly stacked. They have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."

"One right-back went out injured the recently and there are two dozen others to go! They've got over sixty footballers. I wish us to be stacked like them."

These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when England ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in a fixture before the previous England team reached the last eight.

Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a Champions League 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 assistant at the Belgian side and Burnley to Kompany, who succeeded Tuchel at the German giants.

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

"I possess some sort of understanding because the team he departed I know individuals who have joined. I gain a glimpse there of how he works and it's remarkable. "

"His strategic planning is elite and I wanted to be facing that - see how we adjust because he will. I will get to learn from it. I'd love to reach that level."

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

Defenders: Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Rodon (Leeds), Neco Williams (Forest).

Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester City - on loan from Rennes), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Thomas (Stoke City), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).

Attackers: Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea), Mark Harris (Oxford), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).