When you’ve won 70 odd caps for your country, captained the side, been part of numerous press conferences and interviews from Wales to the furthest reaches of Europe, everyone thinks they know you.

That’s certainly the case with Craig Bellamy.

Be it the stories from his Liverpool days in the Algarve, his passion and unparalleled desire to win or the infamous interview after a home 0-2 loss to Finland, everyone has placed him in their own perceived box and decided who is Craig Bellamy.

However, the man who entered the press conference today at Hensol Castle was very measured, informative, jovial, honest but with the same passion and desire which was a staple of his playing career.

Bellamy’s appointment to the job of Wales’ top man has been a long process. Beginning his coaching career in youth set-ups at Cardiff and Anderlecht before moving with former teammate Vincent Kompany to Burnley and eventually the Premier League.

During that time, he was on a very short list for the Wales job in 2018, just missing out to former teammate Ryan Giggs a fact, journalists weren’t afraid of reminding him.

“Thank you,” joked Bellamy.

It was very much a charm offensive from Bellamy, a contrast to the in-their-faces defensive approach former teammate Joe Ledley predicted would be the style of play under the former Liverpool forward.

Why Wales? Why Now?

The Wales job marks Bellamy’s first role as head coach as well as his first in international management, seeing him step fully into the spotlight for the first time.

“I never felt the need to be a manager, there wasn’t a burning desire,” said Bellamy.

“I was really happy. I’ve spent a lot of my career in the limelight and anyone knows me knows I don’t need the limelight, I’m quite comfortable without it.

“I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to put myself through that again. I was happy in the background.

“I love football, it’s great to be still involved with football then really it comes to a stage where I believe I’d got to where I needed to with coaching and if I’ve got to do interviews, then I will, it’s not enough to stop me from becoming a manager, because I have to be true to me and my belief is that this is the next step.”

Bellamy’s passion for his nation is something no one has ever doubted, but he admits he thought time away would have dampened those feelings.

If anything, his absence has made his passion for Wales grow.

“When Rob Page left it wasn’t on my mind, I was in a different direction with Burnley and when I spoke to Dave and Noel it hit me a little bit,” said Bellamy.

“I didn’t realise how important it was to me, maybe because I’d been living in England and Belgium. I hadn’t forgotten, I’ve always followed Wales, but I hadn’t realised the emotional attachment I had to it.

“I wasn’t sure if it was something I wanted to do, I’m not here for financial reasons, but for me it was the emotional attachment to it, the more I got involved it became clear to me and it was something I wanted to do.

“I spoke to Vincent Kompany for about an hour yesterday, and he said something interesting, he said, ‘I knew this was the one job I could lose you to’.

“It hasn’t left me, I thought it had, but it’s come back even stronger.”

Desire to Win

Speaking to Sportin Wales, Bellamy’s ex-Wales teammates Joe Ledley and Sam Vokes both commented on their former captain’s need to win as being greater than any player they played with.

“It’s not winning, I hate losing more and there is a big difference,” said Bellamy.

“I believe if you give everything you got, not just in football but in life and you try to be the best you can, that’s winning.

“If I don’t prepare and don’t put the effort in and you lose, that’s something I really struggle with, and I don’t like that for myself as a person.

“I know everyone will say about winning, but for me sometimes you’ll win in different ways. If we play incredibly well and not get the result, I’m good.

“I see winning as longevity and we’ll get there in the end, but losing and not playing well is different, I find that difficult.”

Tactical Approach

An oft-mentioned criticism of Rob Page was the appearance that Wales appeared to have a plan B.

During today’s press conference, Bellamy broke down his tactical style for the future.

“The age, intensity of players, I’m very analytical I look at number quite a lot,” said Bellamy.

“If I was doing squad planning which I have, I can put it together. You’ve probably heard me say three or four times that it’s a puzzle and I try and find a way to put it all together. There’re young ones coming through as well which I know I can move into places.

“A full back is not just good enough to play as a full back anymore, can you play as a six? Can you play in the pocket or high and wide? You need all these qualities to be able to play the way I’m looking to play.

“Centre backs can you step in? Go into a double six? We might not use that but can you go into a three or a two, so you understand those roles.

“What is important is I have a library in my head and the game will change. During a game you’ll change maybe three or four systems, you look at the shape we’ll change shapes, three or four during a game.”

“I have a head start now with Wales I have Connor [Roberts], Connor has a library like you wouldn’t believe,” Bellamy added.

“My idea is to get every player on the same wavelength which Connor sees it, some have been exposed to it from their clubs but that’s the bit you’ll be seeing a lot more.”

What is the target?

Bellamy’s first game in charge will see Wales take on European quarter finalists Türkiye who Wales lost to away and drew with at home in Euros qualifying.

For the new Wales boss, preparation for their clash at the Cardiff city stadium on the 6^th of September has already begun.

“As a person, I have to have control over every aspect during a game, that’s when I feel comfortable,” said Bellamy.

“In order to be able to do that, the detail you’ve got to go into becomes hard work.

“It’s starting now, the camp is in September, the work and detail going into that first game Türkiye already, I’ve already watched them eight times already.

“I’m not saying that’s going to be enough but I’m already into the detail and the players will see that, the level of what you go into and that will move them on to become the best they can be.

“It’s those details and if we can transfer that to the playing side then that gives you an opportunity of being successful.

“With the players we have as well then you have a chance to qualify and not just qualify but maybe surprise one or two like in 2016 and get to the latter stages, hopefully.”

If you had been looking for Wales football heroes to take over from Gareth Bale, then Nathan Broadhead would probably have been low down your list.

Yet cometh the very late hour, cometh the young man in Croatia as Broadhead grabbed the equaliser to earn his country a 1-1 draw in their first qualifier for Euro 2024.

Aaron Ramsey hadn’t scored, Kieffer Moore had hardly had a kick, but when the ball was flicked on to the far post, Broadhead – a 24-year-old, who plays League One football with Ipswich – reacted like a veteran international striker to deliver a priceless point.

The question for Wales now is can they carry on the momentum by beating Latvia at home on Tuesday night.

After all, the Latvians are considered the weakest team in the group and any point gained unexpectedly in Croatia would be handed back immediately if Wales don’t get all three points at the Cardiff City Stadium.

In Saturday night’s game, Wales could well have gone further behind after they went 1-0 down in the first-half to a goal from Andrej Kramaric.

But what will have encouraged the 2,000 members of the Red Wall who made the trip to the city of Split – as well as those watching on TV back home – was the positive nature of the Welsh response.

Manager Rob Page sent on fresh legs in the form of Broadhead, Sorba Thomas, Wes Burns and Tom Bradshaw and their energy proved decisive as the Croatians tired.

Some of the Welsh fans pictured celebrating at the end were also supporters of Barry Town United and it was a memorable weekend for them.

Earlier on Saturday, their club had hammered Pontardawe Town, 5-0, to confirm themselves champions of the JD Cymru South.

It will means a quick return to the JD Cymru Premier for Barry, who were relegated last season but will now go back up after a dominant campaign in the second tier of Welsh domestic football.

Eye-opening achievement of the weekend should go to Wrexham, whose crowd of 9,511 for their match at home to Connah’s Quay Nomads was a record for a women’s fixture in Wales.

They won 2-1 at The Racecourse in the Genero Adran North, 24 hours after their men’s team had beaten York City, 3-0, to stay top of the National League and on course for automatic promotion back to the Football League.

In the Genero Adran Premier, Cardiff City Women clinched their first title for 10 years after overcoming The New Saints, 3-1.

It was a weekend when most of the rest of Welsh football put their feet up, because of the international matches.

Cardiff City and Swansea City were able to get some extra training done ahead of their crunch Welsh derby meeting in the Championship this weekend, while Newport County’s planned League Two fixture against Harrogate was postponed due to international call-ups.

In the JD Cymru Premier, The New Saints had already sewn up the league title, but anyone thinking they might relax was proved wrong as they hammered Cardiff Met, 7-1 at the weekend.

In the only other fixture, Penybont maintained their position in third place, even though they were held, 2-2, at home to Bala Town.