New 'exciting' Wales under Bellamy, says Roberts

Nations League: Wales v Turkey

Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Friday, 6 September Kick off: 19:45 BST

Coverage: Listen connected BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, Radio 5 Live, positive unrecorded matter commentary, followed by study and guidance connected nan BBC Sport website and app.

Craig Bellamy’s Wales will play an breathtaking caller style of shot arsenic they group their sights connected nan semipermanent extremity of qualifying for nan 2026 World Cup, says Connor Roberts.

Burnley full-back Roberts played nether Bellamy erstwhile he worked arsenic Vincent Kompany’s adjunct coach astatine Turf Moor, helping nan Clarets gain promotion to nan Premier League successful 2023.

Bellamy, who succeeded Rob Page arsenic Wales caput coach successful July, originates his reign pinch a Nations League crippled astatine location to Turkey connected Friday.

“You tin spot location is simply a caller power astir nan place,” Roberts said of Bellamy’s appointment.

“Everyone is excited to spot what a Craig Bellamy squad looks like, really they play. It’s nan aforesaid pinch nan players. I deliberation he’s a awesome coach. He perfectly loves football. He lives and breathes it.

“We each emotion playing for Wales and we each person to impressment nan leader by tuning into his ideas and showing him we want to beryllium portion of thing successful.”

Bellamy took his first training convention connected Monday, and Wales’ players person been impressed by really elaborate nan erstwhile skipper is successful his work.

As good arsenic method and tactical activity connected nan pitch, Bellamy has put his squad done extended study sessions successful bid to get them accustomed to his progressive, possession-based style of play.

Roberts has knowledgeable this earlier astatine Burnley, saying past twelvemonth that Kompany’s methods transformed his outlook connected nan game and convinced him to prosecute a coaching profession aft he retires.

For now, nan 28-year-old is relishing his reunion pinch Bellamy successful world football.

“For me, it [the change] has been comparatively easy. I’ve heard nan messages 100 times earlier and I’d for illustration to deliberation I’m 1 of nan cleverer boys successful nan squad,” Roberts said pinch a smile.

“Maybe it will return nan boys a fewer meetings longer, a fewer camps to get each azygous spot of accusation and to cognize precisely what to do.

"The only measurement we’re going to get better, nan only measurement we’re going to beryllium a really bully team, is if each azygous subordinate successful nan squad, not conscionable successful nan team, understands what’s expected of us.

“I’m beautiful definite nan activity nan leader and nan staff, and nan nonstop ideas they person got, is not being portrayed by different nations. They mightiness person bully players, but I don’t deliberation location is simply a group of unit aliases a head that useful arsenic difficult arsenic I cognize Craig and his unit do.

“Hopefully that bodes good and it tin each travel together and we tin spell acold and scope large tournaments again.”

Having missed retired connected playing astatine a awesome tourney during his 78-cap world career, erstwhile striker Bellamy has group himself nan target of taking this Wales broadside to nan 2026 World Cup.

Roberts is 1 of respective players successful this squad who person represented Wales astatine a European Championship arsenic good arsenic nan World Cup.

But pinch Wales having exited nan 2022 World Cup astatine nan group shape aft a dismal showing successful Qatar, Roberts says Bellamy and his players are wished to springiness a amended relationship of themselves erstwhile they adjacent suffice for a awesome tournament.

“He's already referred to it and said successful meetings that it's not conscionable a lawsuit of getting there,” Roberts added.

“We request to get location and, erstwhile we do, compete much than we person since 2016 [when Wales reached nan Euros semi-finals].

“We request to spell to these large tournaments and show we're not conscionable location to dress up nan numbers. The only measurement we will do that is if we perceive to each nan accusation and put nan hours successful connected nan transportation and successful gathering rooms. That is nan aim.”

After Wales play Turkey astatine Cardiff City Stadium connected Friday, they person a 2nd Group 4 crippled successful speedy succession pinch an distant travel to Montenegro connected Monday, 9 September.