England vs Wales: International Friendly Preview
International Friendly: England vs Wales
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Date: Thursday, 9 October
Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Live on S4C, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, as well as on the BBC Sport website and app, including live text commentary.
Craig Bellamy has remarked on the impressive depth of England's squad, suggesting that a boxing promoter would hesitate to match them against his Welsh team. Wales is set to face England in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday, followed by a crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium next Monday.
England's manager, Thomas Tuchel, has opted to exclude key players such as Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish from the squad for both the friendly against Wales and the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
Bellamy stated, "England has a ridiculous squad, akin to France's. Their transfer market value is £1.4 billion, while ours stands at £170 million. If you were a boxing promoter, you wouldn’t pair us together—it wouldn’t be permissible." He emphasized that ensuring Wales can compete with such star-studded opponents is a significant motivation.
He continued, "We don’t focus on market values, but the reality is that England possesses multiple strong teams. They have two, three, or even four top-tier squads, much like France and other nations. England is brimming with exceptional players, and that’s the honest truth. One right-back got injured recently, and they still have 24 more to choose from! They have around 60 players available. I would love for us to be as well-equipped as they are."
The neighboring countries last clashed during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where England secured a comfortable 3-0 victory in a group match before advancing to the quarter-finals.
Gareth Southgate’s successor, Tuchel, is a distinguished manager with a track record that includes Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles with Chelsea, along with domestic championships in France and Germany.
Bellamy previously served as an assistant to Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht and Burnley, who has now taken over from Tuchel at Bayern Munich. He praised Tuchel, stating, "He’s an incredible manager—his record speaks for itself. I have some insight into the club he left, and I know people there. I’m impressed by how he operates. His tactical detail is top-notch, and I’m eager to face him to see how I can adapt and learn from that. I aspire to reach that level myself."
Wales Squad
Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (Everton).
Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Leicester City - on loan from Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joel Colwill (Cardiff City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City).
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Mark Harris (Oxford United), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City - on loan from Liverpool), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff City).