Craig Bellamy’s credentials for the Celtic job go beyond just his affiliation with the club as a player.
The more you read into who he is as a coach, the more it feels that this is a man destined to manage Celtic.
Bellamy worked under a host of top managers in his career, including Martin O’Neill himself. Even in his playing days, he was known as an obsessive about the game.
Since moving into his coaching, he carried the bravery, curiosity and competitive edge of his playing career into his makeup as a manager.
He has seriously impressed in charge of Wales…
Craig Bellamy: destined to manage Celtic
Bellamy started his top-level coaching career by linking up with ex-teammate Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht and Burnley.
Whilst in Belgium, he reached out to then-Yokohama manager Ange Postecoglou to get involved with the club, having grown an admiration for the Aussie whilst sharing facilities with him in Melbourne in 2012.
READ MORE: Ferencvaros sporting director admits ‘possibility may exist’ for Celtic-linked Robbie Keane to leave
When Kompany accepted an offer to manage Bayern Munich in 2024, he attempted to bring Bellamy with him, with the Welshman rejecting this in favour of forging his own path in management.
He then made the unusual move of accepting an international role as his first senior management job. Understandably, the opportunity to manage his beloved Wales was too good to turn down.
In charge of his home country, Bellamy has initiated significant change in the identity of the national team. Whilst previous successes had been centred around the brilliance of Gareth Bale being supplemented by hard work and counter-attacks, their play now mimics Angeball.
Wales went unbeaten in their first nine competitive matches under the former striker. When they were finally defeated, it took a late winner from Kevin De Bruyne to seal a 4-3 win for Belgium.
Bellamy is keen to separate himself from the Russell Martin crowd of coaches, telling The Guardian in 2024: “I think a lot of people get confused with building from the back: it’s not an ego trip. It’s not to try to look smarter than the opposition: it is to score.
“If I can get there in one, I’ll get there in one: perfect. The players are always setting traps. Throw-ins, corners, everything we do is to look to score goals.”
Anyone familiar with Bellamy’s playing career knows that he isn’t one to shy away from the spotlight of the Celtic job, but is the timing right this summer?
I want the next manager of Celtic to be…
Could Celtic turn to Craig Bellamy for next season?
Wales face Bosnia in the semi-final of their World Cup qualifying play-off, which is just around the corner. If they win, they will face Italy, assuming the Azzuri beat Northern Ireland in their own semi.
If Bellamy can qualify from that branch, it would be the biggest achievement of his career so far. But he has already made the impossible look possible in his spell so far.
He is contracted until 2028 when Wales will contest a home EUROs. To prise the 46-year-old away from this wouldn’t be easy.
But the Celtic job doesn’t come up every day…
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
