Wales head coach Craig Bellamy has admitted that he has rejected offers from club sides, committing himself to the national team.

Bellamy has been heavily linked to a number of jobs over the past year, most strongly to the vacant managerial role at Burnley, where he worked as assistant manager to Vincent Kompany, now in charge at Bayern Munich.

With the tumult at Celtic over the past season, the Wales head coach has also been mentioned in dispatches as a longer term successor to interim manager Martin O’Neill.

“Everything’s in place, I get completely backed and it’s going to give me the opportunity in the next two years to improve again,” Bellamy said before Tuesday’s friendly against Ghana in Cardiff.

“Links? I understand it but I don’t look too far. I love what I have here.

“I’ve been offered that elsewhere as well, but I have this here already. Wales gave me this opportunity and one or two might not have because I was conscious I haven’t managed before. Wales have given me this opportunity and I’m really grateful for that.

“I am ambitious, trust me. I want to earn loads and loads of money but there’s a time and now, at this present moment, it just doesn’t feel that time.”

Bellamy is halfway through his initial four-year deal that he signed in the summer of 2024 and, despite the failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, has had a positive start to his first senior role in management.

There have been no formal bids for Bellamy yet, and any potential suitor would have to pay a release clause of at least £700,000 to get him out of his contract with the FAW.

“I couldn’t see it being fair for me to walk away. That’s not right,” added Bellamy.

“I had one or two players ringing up like, ‘Is this true?’. Listen, we’re not going anywhere. We’re going again, we’ve got another two years.

“I’ve always wanted to do this role, so I don’t want to wish this away. I get great backing, you know, and that’s all I can ask for.”

Bellamy also touched on the reported low ticket sales for tonight’s home friendly with Ghana, with only 10,000 sold the day before.

“It’s a difficult period, I have to be honest,” said Bellamy.

“Don’t forget it was half-term last week, this is a midweek game. If you’ve been with your kids for a week, I’m not sure I want to take them to a game Tuesday night and spend another two hours with them!

“So I understand quite a lot on this. Our Nations League games will be sold out.

“When I look at our record in June, June friendlies or June competitive games, nowhere near good enough. Thirteen games, nine losses, two wins – one was last year.

“You want to be a serious nation? Our June record’s nowhere near, so we have to correct that.”

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