Former Manchester City Striker, Craig Bellamy is set to become the new manager of the Wales national team.
The 44-year-old has emerged as the top choice for the Football Association of Wales (FAW) to replace Rob Page, who was sacked last month. Currently at Burnley, Bellamy had been serving as acting head coach before Scott Parker's recent appointment.
Although Parker wanted to work with Bellamy, the former Wales captain seems keen on managing his national team. BBC Sport Wales reports that final details are still being worked out with both Bellamy and Burnley, but the appointment is close, ending the search to replace Page, who was dismissed in June after Wales failed to qualify for Euro 2024.
Bellamy has long expressed his desire to manage Wales and met with senior FAW officials last week. Other candidates considered for the position included Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, Georgia manager Willy Sagnol, and Oxford United boss Des Buckingham.
However, Bellamy, who narrowly missed out on the job to Ryan Giggs in 2018, impressed during discussions and will now get the chance to lead the team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
His first game as Wales manager will be a Nations League home match against Turkey on September 6, followed by an away game against Montenegro on September 9.
Bellamy made 78 appearances for Wales before retiring from international football in 2013, missing the chance to play in a major finals when Wales qualified under Chris Coleman two years later.
He began his coaching career with Cardiff City’s academy before serving as assistant manager to his former Manchester City teammate Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht and later at Burnley. Bellamy stepped in when Kompany served a touchline ban last season and took over temporarily when Kompany left for Bayern Munich in May.
With Burnley choosing Scott Parker for the permanent role, the opportunity arose for the FAW to appoint Bellamy. Bellamy is now ready to return to Wales, having ended his playing career with his hometown club Cardiff City, where he helped them gain promotion to the Premier League in 2014.
