It was an unassuming performance, in truth.

The stats show that: 32 minutes, 18 passes completed, two tackles, and an ignominious foul as Montenegro attempted to equalise in the dying minutes.

Not much to write home about from one of Wales’ greatest ever players but the return of Joe Allen, playing for his country 686 days after what was supposed to be his 74th and final cap, is no small thing.

While he was cheered heartily by the Welsh faithful throughout the evening, when his name was read out prior to kick-off, upon the sight of him warming up, and eventually coming on, his very presence in this team speaks to Wales’ direction under Bellamy.

An Old Head Amongst Young Pups

It is easy to fall into a groove of always looking forward and searching for the next great player while the current one is still performing.

To some extent, the likes of Harry Wilson have suffered this. While youngsters such as Lewis Koumas and Rubin Colwill grab headlines for their potential, Wilson has made a stunning start to life under new coach Craig Bellamy, scoring three goals in four games.

Which is why, when a week before the Wales squad for the October internationals were announced Ethan Ampadu suffered a knee ligament injury, Bellamy did not look to Charlie Savage or Charlie Crew to fill the hole that the Leeds captain would leave in his side.

Instead, Bellamy called an old teammate and lent into the romance of international football.

Despite being conscious of falling into the trap of simply saying that the former Wales captain ‘gets it’, it is clear that Bellamy does have a distinct emotional connection to the job and the fans, which has only grown with good results and an adventurous style of play.

Leaning Into The Romance

Speaking before the Montenegro game, Bellamy admitted that playing Allen would be a gamble but also that he would relish the “romance” of seeing him play for Wales again.

“Of course, he’s a gamble if you throw him in from the start because of his minutes and football this year,” head coach Bellamy said.

“Hopefully he kicks the ball for me tomorrow. Even if he doesn’t, he’s had an incredible week for us and been really positive for us.

“We all love romance, no? It doesn’t always happen in football. You’re in the wrong business if you don’t like romance in football.”

What member of Red Wall would give to see the likes of Gareth Bale and Ashley Williams, or going back further, Mark Hughes and Ian Rush play in red again?

Bellamy gave the fans that feeling by bringing Allen back against Montenegro last month.

While some naysayers will point at the fact that Wales’ 1-0 win was a competitive match and part of the UEFA Nations League, a competition that has benefitted Wales in the past, the point stands that Allen’s return was more impactful than giving more minutes to young players who will have their time in the future.

In any case, would Crew or Savage have done a better job of securing the ball under pressure and solidifying Wales in order to see out the result? Despite their undoubted talent, probably not.

‘It’s great to be back’

On top of this, Allen seems excited to be back in the Wales set-up.

“It’s great to be back,” said Allen after the match.

“An incredible welcome here from the supporters, but also from my team-mates and all the staff on camp.

“I thought [returning] was unlikely, but I don’t think it’s anything you can 100 percent rule out. When I spoke to Craig, I was pretty easily convinced to come back and be part of the set-up.

“I’m really grateful to him for giving me the opportunity. It’s up to me now to prove I still have value and worth to add and help this group.”

What comes across from Allen is that he is taking his return one step at a time, something that Wales has been guilty of failing to do in recent times, with the frustration around previous manager Rob Page’s continued emphasis on ‘transition.’

“This has all been a bit of a whirlwind and how quick this has come around to be back in the fold,” Allen said.

“First and foremost, I wanted to get on this camp, get on the pitch at least once over the two games and thankfully I got that chance.

“There’s a big onus on me to really push over the next month. Get as many minutes as I can and be in good shape hopefully for the two games in November.”

Allen’s Return Masks Midfield Muddle

What Allen’s recall does signal, though, is that Wales do have a slight problem with their midfield, particularly while Ampadu continues to be absent from the team.

There are not many countries in international football the size of Wales that would not miss a player of Ampadu’s quality, and this speaks to the nature of the sport.

Unlike his club side, Wales cannot simply use the transfer market to buy or loan in a replacement for him. Instead, Bellamy must find a solution from the players that he has in-house.

Every nation has positions that they struggle to fill. When was the last time England had a great goalkeeper? Or Scotland a great striker? For Wales, currently Ampadu is our only elite defensive midfielder. Sometimes it just shakes out that way.

Bellamy has not been shy in trying to find options within his current group before turning to Allen as a second-half substitute.

During the game against Montenegro, Josh Sheehan played as the deepest midfielder – or ‘Ampadu role’ as it has been coined during Bellamy’s tenure – but the Bolton midfielder is more of an attacking presence, laying on 12 assists in League One last season.

The other options in the Wales squad are also more naturally attacking than Bellamy would perhaps like, with Jordan James often playing in attacking midfield for Birmingham, despite shifting into a deeper role at his new club Rennes.

James played in an advanced role next to Ampadu against Turkey and Montenegro in September, before adopting the deepest position against Iceland. The midfielder was suspended for the reverse fixture against Montenegro.

Another used in midfield has been Ollie Cooper, who is mostly a number 10 for club Swansea City, while the aforementioned Crew and Savage are 18 and 21 years old respectively and not ready to be given such responsibility.

With Ampadu and captain Aaron Ramsey injured for the October international break, it seemed logical, therefore, that Bellamy would turn to the experience of Allen.

Ampadu is expected to return in time for Wales’ first World Cup qualifiers in March and Allen’s importance will no doubt diminish.

But the sight of the ‘Welsh Pirlo’ controlling the middle of the Cardiff City Stadium turf again is one that warmed the cockles of the Wales fans on a cold Monday night.

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