Craig Bellamy set to be confirmed as Wales boss on Tuesday in first managerial role
Craig Bellamy is set to be named as the new Wales manager on Tuesday, talkSPORT understands.
Bellamy has never held a senior position as a manager before but he appears to have impressed after talks with the Football Association of Wales to be given the chance.
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Bellamy looks set to leave Burnley to become the new Wales bossCredit: Getty ImagesBellamy will replace Rob Page, who was sacked following a bad run of results.
Page was sacked in June after Wales failed to reach Euro 2024 while Bellamy is with Burnley, having worked as acting head coach after Vincent Kompany departed for Bayern Munich.
Scott Parker has since been announced as the new Burnley boss, where Bellamy was assistant manager to Kompany.
And rather than stay under the new regime, the former Wales international is keen to take the vacant role of his country, for whom he made 78 appearances during his playing career.
READ MORE ON WALESAmong the reported candidates for the position include Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who is set to take charge of France’s Olympics side in Paris this summer and spoke to FAW chiefs, as well as Oxford United boss Des Buckingham.
Bellamy also had lengthy chats with FAW officials about his desire to lead the national side during talks last week.
He missed out on the job in 2018 when Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs was appointed.
But he will now finally get the chance to take control of the Dragons in a dream role and the first call of business is a big one.
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Bellamy was named as the Clarets’ acting head coach after Kompany left
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Bellamy played for an array of top clubs including City, Liverpool and NewcastleCredit: Getty ImagesWith qualification for the 2026 World Cup set to get underway soon, the road starts now to taking Wales to the tournament, hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico.
Wales made it to the Qatar World Cup in 2022, ending 56 years away from the competition, but this time they must do it without talismanic forward Gareth Bale.
Bellamy will have some time before he takes to the dugout with Wales’ first game being a Nations League home tie against Turkey on September 6.
They then face a trip to Montenegro three days later.
Bellamy had a fine playing career, scoring 19 times for Wales including a winner against Italy in 2002.
He also played mostly in the Premier League for clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City, Blackburn and Newcastle.
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In terms of coaching, he joined Kompany at Anderlecht where he worked with the academy side before becoming his No. 2 at Burnley.
