Three Lions Team Depth Called 'Ridiculous' - Wales Boss Craig Bellamy

• Published 60 minutes ago

Friendly match: England v Wales

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

The Wales head coach states the English player pool is so impressive that matchmakers would not match them against the Welsh team.

Bellamy's men meet England in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against Belgium next the following week.

England manager Tuchel has omitted the likes of Bellingham, Foden and Grealish out of his squad for the Wales friendly and their World Cup qualifier against the Latvian team.

"The English have a ridiculous team, like France," the coach remarked.

"England have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, ours is 170 million. Were you a fight promoter, you wouldn't match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."

Bellamy says ensuring the Welsh team can face the talented rivals is a "driving force".

The Wales head coach continued: "Our team do not rely on market prices, but the reality is England don't just have one team. They have multiple and France and others have the same level. England have loads of top talents and that's the honest truth."

"A defender was ruled out with injury the other day and there are two dozen others to choose from! They've got over sixty players. I'd love us to be stacked similarly."

These two nations most recently met at the 2022 tournament in the Middle East, when the English ran out easy victors in a fixture before Gareth Southgate's side made it to the quarter-finals.

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

Bellamy was previously an coach at the Belgian side and the English club to Kompany, who replaced him at Bayern Munich.

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

"I possess some sort of insight because the team he departed I am familiar with individuals who have joined. I get a bit of an insight there of how he works and it's remarkable. "

"His strategic planning is top level and I aimed to be up against such a challenge - see how you're going to adapt because he will. I will get to learn from that. I aspire to get to that level."

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

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

Midfield: Ampadu (Leeds), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester City - loaned by Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke City), H. Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).

Forwards: Broadhead (Wrexham), Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford United), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - loaned by the Reds), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).