During his career, not many Manchester City fans might have viewed Craig Bellamy as management material. However, now at 45, the former forward has taken on his first managerial role, leading his country. One figure who recognized Bellamy’s coaching potential was City legend Vincent Kompany. Currently managing Bayern Munich, Kompany had Bellamy as his assistant at both Anderlecht and Burnley. The duo contributed to Burnley’s Championship title victory in 2023. When Kompany moved to Germany over the summer, Bellamy was considered for the managerial position at Turf Moor. Instead, he chose to lead his national team, beginning his tenure with an impressive unbeaten start of two draws and a win. This achievement has positively impacted his reputation among the Welsh public, who are gradually regaining enthusiasm following a disappointing end to Rob Page’s leadership and the failure to qualify for the previous European Championship.
Vincent Kompany said, “I hear a few people say that Craig is someone who is misunderstood and I think that is very true. The headlines during his career don’t necessarily reflect how we experienced him as a teammate. He is very intelligent, he cares – sometimes more about others than himself – he has been really, really important in us achieving success.”
In international football, Bellamy aims to replicate his domestic success, sharing his vision during his first press conference.
Craig Bellamy said, “I have key principles on what I stand for as a person. It’s a privilege to play this game. Players are aware of that and they embrace that. It’s about being willing to learn, open-minded to everything. For me, it’s respect as well. You respect the environment and the people you work for. Respect for the shirt. Can you leave that shirt in a better place than when you found it? Playing-wise, having that type of attitude and open-mindedness. I do like front-foot football. I like pressing. We build from the back. Everything’s to score. Everything we do is to score goals. We don’t play formations, we play shapes. It’s two vs ones, looking to create those areas in every part of the football pitch.”
