Mindset, meetings, minutiae - how Bellamy changed Wales

World Cup qualifier: Wales v Liechtenstein

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

Coverage: Live connected BBC One Wales, S4C, iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, nan BBC Sport website and app, positive unrecorded matter commentary.

"This could beryllium for illustration holding a firework."

An explosive player, a combustible personality. The words of 1 Football Association of Wales (FAW) charismatic summed up nan emotion of galore arsenic Craig Bellamy was named his country's caller caput coach.

But fewer could person anticipated nan occurrence that he has since lit nether Welsh football.

The 45-year-old is showing nan shot world location is much composure than coiled articulator these days.

Less than a twelvemonth connected from his appointment, nan nationalist broadside look transformed connected nan pitch, while subtle and important changes successful nan inheritance person helped re-ignite hopes of returning to a awesome finals.

That bid to scope nan 2026 World Cup resumes against Liechtenstein connected Friday, earlier Wales recreation to Belgium connected Monday for what could beryllium a pivotal brushwood betwixt nan group's apical 2 seeds.

As Wales hole for their sternest situation yet of nan Bellamy era, BBC Sport Wales analyses nan changes Bellamy has made - and really nan caput coach has altered shot successful his homeland arsenic a result.

The first changes started astatine home.

Bellamy was amazed to beryllium told he was nan first head of nan nationalist broadside to unrecorded and activity successful nan state aft informing officials he would return to his location metropolis of Cardiff to statesman his role.

But for Bellamy, location was nary different way.

He felt he had to beryllium connected nan crushed to dispersed his ngo connection connected really he wanted nan side's personality correct nan measurement done age-grade sides, grassroots and moreover among agency unit astatine nan FAW guidelines successful nan Vale of Glamorgan.

"He is very visible," is really 1 charismatic put it, pinch no-one successful immoderate uncertainty of nan hours being put successful and nan measurement Bellamy leads by example.

It is not conscionable those connected nan payroll who will person noticed nan difference.

Whereas immoderate predecessors were criticised for not being seen extracurricular of world windows, Bellamy is astatine games, nine training grounds, and astatine galore events passim Wales reaching retired to supporters - often helping section clubs raise money for facilities.

There were countless Ymlaen ('forward' successful Welsh) roadshows to talk his and nan FAW's vision.

And past location are nan hours astatine Dragon Park, Wales' nationalist improvement centre connected nan outskirts of Newport, either moving pinch analysts - it was nary joke erstwhile he said he had studied 8 of his first opponents Turkey's games earlier his charismatic unveiling - aliases pinch age-grade sides.

Bellamy had already reeled disconnected a extent floor plan for each disposable elder and intermediate players erstwhile he was first interviewed for nan job. He saw his occupation arsenic knowing each subordinate coming through, too.

It plays into nan erstwhile forward's obsessive desire for information, for details, for each small advantage that could beryllium nan quality for Wales arsenic a shot nation.

Bellamy has made nan domiciled bigger than conscionable nan first squad he has nether his complaint by becoming a figurehead.

On nan pitch, it took little than a infinitesimal for Bellamy to show really he had transformed Wales.

Within seconds of kick-off successful his opening game, last September's Nations League lucifer astatine location to Turkey, it was abundantly clear that things were going to beryllium different.

Players were taking up caller positions and changing them fluidly, building play from each areas of nan section and, whenever possession was lost, they launched into a accelerated – but organised, corporate – property to triumph it backmost arsenic quickly arsenic possible.

Turkey, Euro 2024 quarter-finalists conscionable a fewer months earlier, were outplayed, and fortunate to flight pinch a goalless draw.

Wales fans could scarcely recognise their squad from nan 1 which had been held by Gibraltar and thrashed by Slovakia that summer.

Bellamy boldly declared afterwards "this is nan worst we're going to be", having instigated this translator pinch little than a week's training.

Players were instantly impressed by nan level of item successful Bellamy's squad meetings and struck by really different – and meticulous – his tactical attack was to his predecessors.

"He's decidedly changed nan measurement I spot football," says Harry Wilson, Wales' apical scorer – and arguably their champion subordinate – nether Bellamy. "I watch games otherwise now, nan measurement he sees it."

Bellamy presented immoderate of these ideas to coaches studying for their Uefa qualifications pinch nan FAW past month. The enormous, packed convention room astatine nan Celtic Manor edifice was silent arsenic World Cup and Champions League winners hung connected his each word.

Bellamy is simply a shot obsessive who is successful his constituent erstwhile discussing tactical trends aliases influential coaches and teams of nan past.

He is simply a awesome admirer of Pep Guardiola – but speedy to statement he is "not a small Pep" – while he often refers to nan valuable lessons he learnt while playing nether Sir Bobby Robson.

The Guardiola effect is illustrated by Bellamy's assignment of nan Manchester City manager's erstwhile analyst, Piet Cremers, arsenic an adjunct coach pinch Wales.

Bellamy worked pinch Cremers arsenic portion of Vincent Kompany's unit astatine Burnley, and he credits nan ex-City skipper who now manages Bayern Munich arsenic 1 of nan important figures successful his coaching career, having besides served arsenic his adjunct astatine Anderlecht.

Fiercely independent, Bellamy knows his ain mind, though his outlook is informed by rich | experiences of moving pinch immoderate of nan game's brightest thinkers.

It is why he rejects talk of being an underdog, aliases of Wales being a mini shot federation punching supra its weight.

Bellamy believes - and wants everyone other to judge - that this is simply a state that warrants its spot astatine nan sport's apical table, fixed nan regularity pinch which nan squad has qualified for awesome tournaments successful caller years.

The caput coach and his players group retired to triumph each game, nary matter who they are playing, and that eager mindset has permeated done nan FAW astatine each levels.

Bellamy knows what elite shot looks for illustration – during matches, successful training, each aspects connected and disconnected nan section – and he is instilling those standards successful his Wales team.

In those first weeks, Bellamy wasted nary clip successful laying retired immoderate of his crushed rules.

One has deed nan headlines successful caller weeks pinch nan revelation players are forbidden from swapping shirts.

It goes further. Shirts and kit are not only kept but looked aft nether nan request that 'no badge touches nan floor'.

There are different off-the-pitch tenets.

Some were successful spot earlier his arrival, specified arsenic nary mobile phones astatine nan meal array and players only ending repast clip erstwhile nan skipper calls it, each stretching backmost to nan Together Stronger days that person helped support a unity successful nan Wales campy comparatively unsocial to world football.

But location are nary rules for nan liking of rules. Bellamy – arsenic pinch his on-field instructions – wants location to beryllium a 'why'.

Take nan garment – it is based connected nan belief that you person worked excessively difficult to springiness it away, meaning a subtle subconscious reminder to players that they cannot extremity pushing themselves.

And while it is difficult to shingle disconnected nan image of Bellamy nan dictator based connected his playing past, galore of nan introductions person been done pinch civilization successful mind, of reasoning differently.

Importance is placed connected timekeeping – whether for training aliases nan galore meetings – but, possibly having learned from nan mistakes and experiences of his ain career, location is nary nationalist dressing-down for those who are late.

Bellamy has spoken astir being intrigued by elements of Japanese culture, telling those who are early to parkland their car further distant to time off spaces adjacent by for those moving behind, to create a consciousness of consideration.

He has enhanced nan consciousness of unity pinch his squad rotation, consistently changing his squad and giving players a chance. Now, they each consciousness portion of this group.

Bellamy besides places awesome worth connected assemblage language, which needs to beryllium "perfect" successful his view. Sulking and throwing your arms up successful disgust during games will not beryllium tolerated.

Those who do not travel nan rules will not beryllium berated - but they will not past agelong successful this squad.

Bellamy wants his players and unit to bask themselves and he has fostered a beardown feelgood facet wrong nan squad, though he still has an aura. Everybody knows erstwhile Bellamy has entered nan room, moreover successful silence.

And possibly much than anything, location is an strength to everything Wales do. Days are structured, training is full-throttle and each gathering requires full focus.

Bellamy has said he wants his squad to "resemble who I am" and, truthful far, he has his wish.

Bellamy nan coach mightiness astonishment those who are much acquainted pinch Bellamy nan player.

During a stellar career, nan erstwhile guardant represented nan likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United. Yet while location were galore notable achievements and memorable goals, Bellamy's spiky, confrontational quality meant he was blighted by controversies connected and disconnected nan field.

He seemed to person carried immoderate of those traits into his first coaching domiciled pinch Cardiff City, arsenic nan nine investigated a bullying declare made against nan ex-captain and he subsequently stepped down from his domiciled arsenic their under-18s coach.

Bellamy denied and disputed nan allegations and was not nan taxable of immoderate disciplinary proceedings, but did rumor a connection astatine nan clip saying he was "truly sorry" if he had offended anyone.

Opposition coaches were damning astir his fierce behaviour connected nan touchline, while FAW sources indicated that Bellamy's fiery temper was 1 of nan reasons why he was overlooked for nan Wales occupation successful 2018.

When he played for Wales, Bellamy was truthful aggravated successful his demands for precocious standards that immoderate of his team-mates person admitted privately that they feared training pinch him.

But Bellamy has learned from his mistakes, and mellowed.

He worked pinch athletics psychiatrist Steve Peters towards nan extremity of his playing career, which helped him process his condolences pursuing nan decease of his friend and erstwhile team-mate and head Gary Speed.

Bellamy now speaks pinch nan calm clarity of personification who has spent a important magnitude of clip analysing himself and his intelligence health.

He sewage distant from nan glare of British shot to activity pinch Kompany successful Belgium, a play he looks backmost connected fondly arsenic giving him "peace".

Bellamy talks of his clip pinch Kompany arsenic an "education", and nan ex-Belgium centre-back's composure has intelligibly rubbed disconnected connected his erstwhile Manchester City team-mate.

Bellamy now brings that calmness to his domiciled arsenic Wales caput coach. He is much thoughtful, mature.

Several group astatine nan FAW person been struck by nan change, speaking glowingly astir his demeanour pinch younker players and staff, arsenic good arsenic his considered attack to coaching.

Ambitious and restless arsenic he mightiness inherently be, Bellamy seems happy astatine nan moment, and that is clear successful his activity pinch nan nationalist team.

Just arsenic he has changed himself, Bellamy is changing Wales.