“education”.<\/a><\/p>\nThe former Manchester City team-mates remain good friends and speak frequently, but Bellamy felt it was time to become a head coach in his own right when his country came calling.<\/p>\n
Despite only being an assistant to Kompany at Burnley, Bellamy took a substantial pay cut to take charge of Wales.<\/p>\n
This, however, was a job like no other. As well as the obvious emotional ties, Bellamy had unfinished business.<\/p>\n
He never got the chance to play at a major international tournament but, as head coach, he aims to put that right by qualifying for this summer’s World Cup.<\/p>\n
“You always have that buzz of chasing something, like I want qualification, I want to be at major tournaments,” Bellamy says.<\/p>\n
“But how do we do it? I’ve got loads of flaws, but the team needs to play with intensity, play with balls.<\/p>\n
“As long as you have belief, that’s the motivation. That’s why you do so much work, why you look at opposition.<\/p>\n
“As a footballer for Wales, I didn’t really feel belief, I just felt hope. Italy [when Wales won 2-1 in 2002 in a European Championship qualifier] was different because we took the game to them. We were brilliant but there weren’t many nights like that.”<\/p>\n
Bellamy scored the winning goal when Wales last faced Italy in Cardiff, a momentous occasion at a sold-out Millennium Stadium.<\/p>\n
The teams will meet again if they win their respective World Cup play-off semi-finals on Thursday, with the final to be played at Cardiff City Stadium the following Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Much like Bellamy himself, Welsh football is unrecognisable from that memorable night 24 years ago.<\/p>\n
Having been absent from major tournaments since the 1958 World Cup, Wales not only qualified for Euro 2016 but reached the semi-finals in France, three years after Bellamy retired.<\/p>\n
They followed that by getting to the knockout stages at Euro 2020 and then qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.<\/p>\n
Bellamy wants to build on that success \u2013 and take his country to new heights.<\/p>\n
“Euro 2016, that moment was like, ‘We are here’. That gave belief and I want to carry that on,” he says.<\/p>\n
“We do punch well above our weight but that’s where we want to be. We need to do it continuously. I like expectations.<\/p>\n
“This is what it takes to be a Wales player. To wear this shirt, these are the qualities you have to have. I believe we have a chance to consistently be at major tournaments.”<\/p>\n
With that, Bellamy turns back to his laptop. The cursor hovers over files labelled ‘Italy’ and ‘Northern Ireland’ \u2013 Wales’ potential play-off final opponents \u2013 and then back to ‘Bosnia’.<\/p>\n
Whether or not Wales get to the World Cup this summer, it will not be down to a lack of preparation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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