Craig Bellamy appears to have ended any realistic chance of becoming Celtic’s next manager after a fresh update on his Wales future.
Bellamy remains one of the most highly-rated young coaches in British football, making him an attractive candidate whenever a major vacancy emerges.
However, his focus appears firmly fixed on Wales rather than a return to club management with Celtic. With Bellamy seemingly committed to Wales for the foreseeable future, Celtic’s recruitment team may now have little choice but to focus their attention elsewhere.
If it comes down to these two… who are you picking as Celtic manager?
Craig Bellamy has made his Celtic position clear
Journalist Geraint Hughes painted perhaps the clearest picture yet of Bellamy’s thinking as the Celtic speculation continues.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, reporter Geraint Hughes revealed he recently held private conversations with Bellamy and came away convinced that the 46-year-old has no intention of leaving his current role.
Hughes said: “I had a really good catch up with him very recently. He’s been very aware about the interest in him from club management. He sees that very much in his future but not in his immediate future.
“He is 100 per cent staying with Wales. When Scott Parker lost his job at Burnley he (Bellamy) was immediately the frontrunner for that job.
“He’s been linked with Celtic, first in November and again now. But Bellamy wants to stay with Wales. He doesn’t see the job he is doing as complete. He is absolutely gutted that they are not at the World Cup.”
Those comments are about as definitive as Celtic supporters could hope to receive without hearing directly from Bellamy himself.
Celtic must now move on from Bellamy
Bellamy may well manage at club level in the future, but everything coming from his camp suggests that time is not now.
His desire to continue building with Wales and potentially lead the national side into Euro 2028 points towards a coach fully committed to his current project.
That should allow Celtic to move on from one of the most persistent managerial links of recent months. Bellamy remains an intriguing name and perhaps a candidate for the future, but his latest stance makes it difficult to view him as a realistic option at present.
The message is simple. Bellamy wants to stay with Wales, and Celtic should focus their attention on targets who are ready to make the move now.
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