Wales boss Craig Bellamy makes big changes to his backroom team and raids Brighton for his No2
CRAIG BELLAMY will tap into Brighton’s blueprint of pressing when he manages Wales.
The new Dragons manager kicks off his tenure as national boss against Turkey in the Nations League on September 6.
Bellamy appointed his backroom staff on Friday with Seagulls first-team coach Andrew Crofts named as one of his assistants.
Ex-Wales midfielder Crofts has impressed with Premier League leaders Brighton under ex-bosses Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi and now Fabian Hurzeler.
Progressive Brighton thumped Everton 3-0 on the opening day of the new Prem season.
And Hurzeler’s men face Manchester United at the Amex on Saturday lunchtime.
Bellamy said: “I’ve spoken a lot with Crofty. He works at Brighton and that’s very important to him.
“I know his ideas and I’m really looking forward to being able to pick his brains again.
“Everyone talks about playing and pressing.
“But they don’t understand the triggers and the detail. They don’t coach the details or they miss it.
“I’m not allowing myself to miss it. It’s too important. It always is with me.
“To have a background in Brighton that Crofty has been exposed to is going to be incredible to have with me.”
Crofts won 29 Wales caps as a player and will combine his roles with club and country.
The 40-year-old retired in 2019 and has been with Brighton as a coach since then.
He said: “I’m very proud. As soon as I knew there was an opportunity to be Craig’s assistant it grabbed me straight away.
“To represent Wales as a player was incredible for me and my family, and to now represent my country as an assistant coach is an indescribable feeling.
“I’m obsessed with coaching, studying various trends in the game and bringing a team’s methodology to life, something which I can’t wait to do with this group of players and staff.”
Crofts will be joined by James Rowberry, Piet Cremers, who has worked with Bellamy at Manchester City and Burnley before, and Ryland Morgans.
All four coaches have been educated through the Football Association of Wales coaching pathway led by David Adams.
Bellamy names his first squad next Wednesday for the Cardiff clash with the Turks before a trip to Montenegro on September 9.
Bellamy, 45, added: “I’m very happy with the group of staff that we’ve been able to bring in.
“I’ve worked with all of them previously, either as a coach or as a player.
“As a collective I believe the balance and various expertise between us is the best we could have asked for.”
Bellamy, appointed Wales boss in July, is also set to bring in goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson following his departure from England after Gareth Southgate resigned.
Margetson, like Morgans, was part of Chris Coleman’s Euro 2016 backroom staff which saw Wales reach the semi-finals.
Ex-manager Robert Page’s backroom staff of Alan Knill, Jack Lester, Tony Roberts and Nick Davies have all departed.
Chris Gunter, who won 109 caps for Wales and was a coach under Page, will move to a new role within the FAW setup.