Craig Bellamy Stays Committed to Wales Amid Burnley Interest

Craig Bellamy insists his future remains with Wales, revealing it was his call – and his alone – to turn down Burnley’s summer move to bring him back to Turf Moor.

The 47-year-old held talks with the Championship club about replacing Scott Parker after their relegation from the Premier League, with the Football Association of Wales granting permission in June once Burnley activated a compensation clause in his contract.

Bellamy admitted the interest from his former club was “flattering” and forced him to think hard about walking away just two years into a four-year deal as Wales head coach. For a moment, the door to club football creaked open again.

Then he shut it.

“I had a decision to make and I made it,” Bellamy said. “It didn’t break down. I said no, it’s not for me. That was it. There was no walk away from discussions. It wasn’t for me.

“I made the decision to stay because this is the right place for me.

“We had a conversation but I was already in a role and this (Wales) was what I wanted.

“It was flattering – we all like our ego being exercised and being wanted – but for me, my partner, my kids, this is the place and we didn’t see anything else being able to move that.”

Bellamy was speaking as he named a 28-man squad for Nations League A fixtures against Portugal, Denmark and Norway, the first time he has publicly addressed the summer speculation that rattled some Wales supporters and former players.

His history with Burnley complicated the picture. He enjoyed a successful spell at Turf Moor as Vincent Kompany’s assistant, helping shape the side that surged into the Premier League, and he made it clear that respect for the club played a part in why he listened.

That respect, though, did not extend to leaving his current job.

The mere possibility of his departure sparked unease. A number of ex-players suggested he would now need to win back sections of the fanbase. Some supporters voiced frustration that, only weeks after insisting he “was not going anywhere”, he was in talks over a return to club management.

Bellamy did not bristle at that suggestion. He simply narrowed the focus.

“I know how it could be seen, but I’ve only one person I have anything to prove to, and that’s me,” said the Wales boss, who suffered the agony of missing out on the 2026 World Cup after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina in March’s play-offs.

“I’m comfortable with the decision I’ve made. I’ve always been committed in everything I do and that hasn’t changed.

“Now, winning people over? I don’t know, that’s the honest truth.”

His start with Wales has been impressive on paper. Since replacing Rob Page in 2024, Bellamy has overseen an unbeaten campaign that earned promotion to the top tier of the Nations League. The step up in level has been secured.

The failure to reach the World Cup, though, has sharpened the scrutiny. Results, he knows, will always cut through the noise.

Bellamy spoke openly about the “volatility” of management and refused to offer any guarantees that he would definitely see out the remainder of his four-year contract. No manager can, he argued, and he is not about to pretend otherwise.

But the target in his mind is clear enough.

Asked if he still expects – and wants – to be in charge of Wales at Euro 2028, with the lure of home games in Cardiff on the horizon, his answer came quickly.

“Oh, I’d love to – but that’s two years from now. Nothing’s guaranteed. I’m no different, I’m not more special than anyone else (in management).”

For now, the noise around Burnley has faded. The next judgement will come on the pitch, against Europe’s elite, with Bellamy exactly where he says he wants to be – in the dugout for Wales, chasing the chance to lead his country into a home European Championships.