Wales have announced Craig Bellamy as the new manager of the national team.
The 44-year-old, who captained Wales in his playing days, replaces Rob Page and has signed a four-year deal – meaning he will oversee qualification for the 2026 World Cup and Euro 2028 on home soil.
Page was sacked following a bad run of results and after Wales failed to reach Euro 2024.
Former Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester City star Bellamy has never held a senior position as a manager before but has extensive coaching experience and impressed in talks with the Football Association of Wales.
Bellamy leaves his role as assistant coach at Burnley to take up the job, having worked under Vincent Kompany at Turf Moor before his departure to take over at Bayern Munich.
The ex-forward was linked with the top job with the Clarets, but that ultimately went to Scott Parker who was announced as the new Burnley boss this week.
And, rather than stay under the new regime, the former Wales international is keen to take the vacant role of his country, for whom he made 78 appearances during his playing career.
On his appointment, Bellamy said: “It’s an incredible honour for me to be given the opportunity to lead my country and it’s the proudest moment of my career. It was always my ultimate dream to become the Cymru Head Coach and I am ready for the challenge.
“I will give my full commitment to develop this team and I am passionate to bring continued success into Welsh football. I can’t wait to get started with our Nations League games in September.”
There had been a number of candidates for the position including Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who spoke to FAW chiefs but is now set to take charge of France’s Olympics side in Paris this summer instead. Oxford United boss Des Buckingham was also one of the contenders.
Bellamy had lengthy chats with FAW officials about his desire to lead the national side during talks last week and did enough to convince them he is the right man for the job.
He missed out on the role in 2018 when Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs was appointed.
But he will now finally get the chance to take control of the Dragons in a dream role, and the first call of business is a big one.
With qualification for the 2026 World Cup set to get underway soon, the road starts now to taking Wales to the tournament, hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico.
Wales made it to the Qatar World Cup in 2022, ending 56 years away from the competition, but this time they must do it without talismanic forward Gareth Bale.
Bellamy will have some time before he takes to the dugout with Wales’ first game being a Nations League home tie against Turkey on September 6.
They then face a trip to Montenegro three days later.
Bellamy had a fine playing career, scoring 19 times for Wales including a winner against Italy in 2002.
He also played mostly in the Premier League for clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City, Blackburn and Newcastle.
In terms of coaching, he began his career in the academy of hometown club Cardiff and served as Kompany’s assistant at Anderlecht before becoming his No. 2 at Burnley.