England Team Strength Called 'Absurd' - Wales Manager Bellamy

• Published 60 minutes ago

Friendly match: England v Wales

Venue: Wembley Stadium, the capital Date: October 9th Kick-off: 19:45 BST

The Wales head coach says England's squad depth is remarkable that a boxing promoter wouldn't pair them against his Wales side.

The Welsh squad meet their neighbors in a friendly at the national stadium on Thursday before their important qualifying match against the Belgians next the following week.

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 the Latvian team.

"The English have a incredible team, like the French," Bellamy remarked.

"England have a market valuation of £1.4bn, ours is 170 million. If you were a fight promoter, you would not match us up. That wouldn't be permitted."

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

Bellamy added: "Our team do not rely on market prices, but the reality is they have more than one team. They have two, three, four and France and other nations are similarly stacked. They have many great players and that's a fact."

"A defender went out injured the other day and there are two dozen others to go! They have over sixty players. I'd love us to be stacked similarly."

The neighbouring countries last faced each other at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when England emerged as comfortable 3-0 winners in a group match before Gareth Southgate's side reached the last eight.

Southgate's successor is Thomas Tuchel, a European and world club winner at the London club who has won domestic titles in Ligue 1 and his native Germany.

The Welsh boss was previously an coach at Anderlecht and Burnley to Kompany, who replaced him at the German giants.

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

"I possess a degree of understanding because the team he departed I know people who have gone in there. 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 such a challenge - observe how you're going to adapt because he adapts too. I can learn from that. I'd love to reach such heights."

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

Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea), Dasilva (Coventry City), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff), Chris Mepham (West Brom), Joe Rodon (Leeds), Williams (Nottingham Forest).

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

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