Chris Coleman has voiced concerns that Craig Bellamy may not be ready for Celtic.
That’s as the Wales boss’s name remains in the frame for the vacancies at both Burnley and Celtic, despite his contract running until 2028.
Bellamy is yet to qualify for a major tournament in charge of his home country, but has his best chance yet of doing so in the upcoming European Championships in the UK & Ireland in 2028.
So is the timing right for him to answer the Parkhead call? The legendary ex-Wales boss doesn’t think so.
He has seriously impressed in charge of Wales…
Chris Coleman: it’s best for Celtic-linked Craig Bellamy to stay at Wales
Asked about Bellamy’s links to Burnley by Sam Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Coleman said: “He was there with Vincent, wasn’t he?
“I was talking about Craig last week, he was linked with Celtic. I just said, That’s a great club. That’s a big club.”
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Allardyce replied: “That’s a great club to go to. You’re going to win the title — or you should win the title, if you’ve got the right backup.”
Coleman continued: “You should be there or thereabouts. But for Craig, it’s better if he stays with Wales.
“I said it’s better if he stays there and has another campaign, because it’s his first job. He’s got some good players there, there’s still some good players.
“There’s still more to come from them, I think. So, I think, on the back of the first campaign — alright, it was disappointing that we didn’t qualify — but that’s two years of experience under his belt. He’ll be better going into the next campaign because of his experience.
“I’m not sure he’s ready for Celtic. [It’s a] massive challenge. Sam, you know, managing day-to-day in a club, especially that size, and managing international football…
“Because he said after the campaign, ‘I need a rest now’. And I remember thinking: ‘If you go to a club, you can’t say you’re having a week’s holiday in November.’
“You can do it as an international manager, you’ve got those little breaks. But I’d like him to stay at Wales for one more campaign.
“He’ll do what he’s going to do at the end of the day.”
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Craig Bellamy’s Celtic credentials
Bellamy’s credentials for the job go far beyond the fact that he enjoyed an excellent loan spell at the Hoops in 2005, under Martin O’Neill himself.
He is a driven football obsessive who was also blessed to play under Bobby Robson, Rafa Benitez, Roberto Mancini and Kenny Dalglish.
He has lost just two of his 14 competitive games in charge of Wales, having previously worked alongside Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht and Burnley, rejecting the chance to follow him to Bayern Munich.
Prising him away from Wales won’t be easy given the prospect of a home EUROs, but he reportedly has admirers at the club.
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