'Exciting' Wales boss Bellamy set World Cup goal

Craig Bellamy has been tipped to beryllium a “huge success” arsenic Wales caput coach aft being group nan target of qualifying for nan 2026 World Cup by Football Association of Wales (FAW) main executive Noel Mooney.

Bellamy will sanction his first squad connected Wednesday successful mentation for nan opening lucifer of his reign, astatine location to Turkey successful nan Nations League connected Friday, 6 September.

Having appointed nan 45-year-old connected a four-year statement successful July, nan FAW’s eventual extremity for Bellamy will beryllium to scope nan adjacent World Cup successful nan United States, Canada and Mexico.

“We're very assured astir nan future, we're already excited astir playing Turkey, and I deliberation there's a buzz astir Welsh football,” Mooney told BBC Sport Wales.

“There's a buzz everyplace astir him [Bellamy]. We felt it was nan correct point to do arsenic an organisation to bring Craig in, we're delighted pinch really he has connected pinch everyone here.

“He's really focused connected his style of play, his principles of play which he intelligibly has, and we consciousness that he's going to beryllium a immense occurrence here.”

This is Bellamy’s first domiciled arsenic a caput coach successful elder football, having served arsenic an adjunct to now Bayern Munich leader Vincent Kompany astatine Anderlecht and Burnley.

Bellamy had antecedently missed retired connected nan Wales occupation to Ryan Giggs successful 2018 but impressed Mooney and FAW main shot serviceman Dave Adams during nan process to find a successor to Rob Page, who was sacked successful June.

Page paid nan value for a nonaccomplishment to suffice for Euro 2024 and, while Wales’ performances and results successful nan forthcoming Nations League will beryllium scrutinised, Mooney says eventual judgement connected Bellamy’s reign will beryllium reserved for awesome tourney qualification.

“We want to suffice for nan World Cup successful America, Canada and Mexico, and we felt that Craig was nan correct prime there,” nan FAW leader added.

“I cognize he had gone for nan occupation previously, and it astir apt was a bully point that he didn't get it past because he went retired into nan world, he went to Anderlecht and developed a batch of very bully young players astatine Anderlecht. They're a apical European nine for processing young talents.

“He sewage to activity nether Vincent Kompany and past he sewage nan chance to spell to Burnley and sewage promoted to nan Premier League, and he really grew himself. I deliberation it's a really breathtaking appointment.

“We do spot nan Nations League arsenic a chance for Craig to input his ideas, mindful of nan truth that we would for illustration to get immoderate results successful this Nations League arsenic well, of course. However, ultimately, present it's astir tourney qualification. That's what it's about.”

Wales had qualified for back-to-back European Championships earlier failing to make this summer’s version successful Germany.

The unit connected Page had been expanding earlier then, however, arguably arsenic acold backmost arsenic nan 2022 World Cup.

Page had go nan first man to lead Wales to a World Cup since 1958 but, erstwhile they were successful Qatar, nan squad performed dismally arsenic they were knocked retired successful nan first round.

Should Wales suffice for nan adjacent World Cup successful 2026 – and past Euro 2028, wherever Wales will beryllium 1 of nan UK and Ireland big nations – Mooney hopes they will springiness a amended relationship of themselves than they did 2 years ago.

“We want to beryllium successful America, Canada, Mexico successful 2026 and erstwhile we big nan Euros present successful 2028, we want to person a superb broadside that goes retired location and represents Wales really well,” he said.

“We want to make judge that we get to nan tournaments and compete really good astatine nan tournaments, arsenic good arsenic nan different portion of it too.

“It's good to get to a tourney but, erstwhile you get to nan tournament, it's really you coming yourself astatine these tournaments and really you present astatine these tournaments.”