What will ‘greatest captain’ bring to Bellamy’s Wales?
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
Image caption, Ashley Williams made his Wales debut in 2008
- Published8 hours ago
Wales go into their Nations League openers aiming to shut out Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland.
With that kind of challenge, Craig Bellamy’s squad might need all the defensive help they can get for games against Portugal, Denmark and Norway.
Cue Ashley Williams, the centre-back described by Bellamy as Wales’ “greatest captain” of the modern era.
Williams was skipper as Wales reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 against Ronaldo and Portugal, the peak of an international career that earned him 86 caps, wearing the armband for more than half of those appearances.
Now 42, the former Everton and Swansea City defender will not be adding to those appearances.
Instead, he will form part of a new-look Bellamy backroom team that the Football Association of Wales (FAW) hopes will add a missing ingredient in the bid to reach Euro 2028.
Bellamy says Williams, and fellow new coach Alan Sheehan, will help provide “a different dynamic”.
But what exactly will they bring?
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With Bellamy losing two key assistants just weeks after it seemed the Wales boss himself would walk away from the job amid interest from Burnley, Williams’ arrival was something of a surprise.
His coaching experience has been limited to informal roles and fans are accustomed to seeing the much-admired ex-captain in the Match of the Day studio.
Sheehan, too, was not an expected announcement, with the former Leeds, Leicester and Luton full-back out of work since November 2025 when he was sacked by Swansea City following a relatively unsuccessful seven-month stint.
They replace James Rowberry, who has opted to focus on his role with Mark Robins at Stoke City, and Piet Cremers, a man whose analytical work Bellamy said meant “everything” but left to join Belgium’ Club NXT in July.
Cremers spent time under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and worked with Bellamy and Vincent Kompany during their successful period at Burnley.
He was often the person Bellamy turned to mid-match, but Bellamy says he was already keen to take on more of the tasks that Cremers performed.
“I loved this summer interviewing people, seeing who could add to us,” said the 47-year-old, who has seen former Wales midfielder and now Tottenham assistant Andrew Crofts remain part of the setup.
“It freshens you up, gives you a different eye. Different strengths coming in means a different dynamic to how you work, which leaves me quite excited.”
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Figure caption,
Craig Bellamy on Match of the Day pundit Ashley Williams joining Wales staff
Williams to ‘command respect’
The obvious strength Williams brings is his personality.
Past team-mates for club and country will queue up to attest to his character as a player and a person.
With Bellamy’s Wales a young side, it mirrors the role the more experienced Williams played while on the field.
As senior to the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, he was a leader among equals.
“I played underneath Ash as a captain, and he was a great leader in the dressing room and led by example in the way he conducted himself on and off the pitch,” says Euro 2016 colleague Sam Vokes.
“He can be someone who speaks from experience and [will] go into that dressing room and immediately command respect.
“Portugal and Denmark away, he has played in those environments.
“He will be able to speak to the lads that are going out in those environments because he led by example, and led in the trenches many times.”
Bellamy agrees, having retained a friendship with the former Swansea skipper after sharing a dressing room with Wales.
“In my time he’s been our greatest captain,” says Bellamy. “Some ex-players with a certain presence can really add something, but also his knowledge of the game is really high, his football IQ is really high.”
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
Image caption,
Craig Bellamy and Ashley Williams first played together for Wales under John Toshack
Wales might need it at the back.
The appointments come against the backdrop of Wales’ failure to reach the World Cup and the beginnings of criticism around the side’ openness.
“He’ll bring some unique skills, particularly when you play Nations League A games when you have to defend a lot,” said FAW chief football officer Dave Adams of Williams’ appointment on the Feast of Football podcast.
“Some of the dark arts of defending, he’ll bring some interesting things for the players to think about.”
There is the thought that Williams would also be prepared to challenge Bellamy’s thinking β seen as healthy part of a management team.
But while Bellamy says he is keen to lean on Williams’ defensive know-how, it will still be the former Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle forward’ managerial message.
“With his position, sometimes it’s easier coming from a player who’s been in there,” said Bellamy – a former Wales captain himself.
“Now, I’ll lead a lot on the information, but it’s nice for me to be able to ask ‘What would you see with this? If you played there, how did you feel when I asked you to do that? Is that possible? Is that not possible?’ I believe he’ll be a huge asset to me.”
Sheehan’s appointment also suggested a more defensive focus.
The former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international was seen to have a pragmatic style at Swansea.
But it appears Wales will look to benefit from the 40-year-old’ eye for set-piece work, something he has also been responsible for during previous coaching roles at Luton and Southampton.
“We really want someone who is in tune with restarts and set-pieces,” added Adams.
“In these sorts of games they could be the factor that give us a chance to win the game, because they are going to be very hard games to play in.
“We realise the importance of attacking and defending set-pieces in these next six games, and feel Alan and [goalkeeping coach] Martyn Margetson will bring that level of detail to help the team be best prepared for these games.”
Portugal v Wales
Nations League Group A4
Thursday, 24 September, 19:45 BST
EstΓ‘dio JosΓ© Alvalade, Lisbon
Watch on iPlayer
Listen on Sounds
Live on BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and 5 Live, BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary.
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