Craig Bellamy pays new Wales call-up the ultimate compliment as transfer bid revealed

Yahoo

5 days ago

Wales boss Craig Bellamy has tipped Cardiff City youngster Ronan Kpakio's for big things after handing the youngster a surprise first senior call-up this summer.
The 18-year-old has been included in summer's World Cup qualifying double-header with Liechtenstein and Belgium, despite having played just once for current club Cardiff City.
Nevertheless, the teenager is player that's been on the radar for some time, with Bellamy even admitting he pushed a move to sign the right-back during his time at Burnley – the ultimate compliment, in some respects.
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"Ronan, I've known him since he was very, very young," Bellamy said. "I've kept an eye on him. Even last year, I tried to buy him for Burnley. So I'm fully aware of him, having been watching him, especially over the last couple of years.
"His progression has been outstanding. I think his potential can be ridiculously high."He's very athletic. Very intelligent. If he wasn't injured, I would have had him in March.
"So he's a player, especially in the right-back position. We have one or two young ones coming through, but we don't have a big area in there so we really need to start developing players in that position."He's the perfect profile for that."
Pressed on how close a move was, and whether an exit from the capital could yet still materialise, Bellamy added: "You might see it this year. I don't think it will just be them [Burnley].
"They [Cardiff] didn't know [back then]. We pulled away."
Kpakio was one of several youngsters called up to a training camp earlier this month, with the likes of Luey Giles, Sam Parker, Cian Ashford, Rhys Thomas, Dylan Lawler and Joel Cotterill among those handed a chance to impress, and Bellamy was clearly impressed by much of what he saw.
"It's been really great to see," he added. "I picked a lot from the 19s, who are a talented group. That's exactly what they were.
"So many positives came out of it, and it's just nice to get them in the way we do things, because it's different to what they were doing before. To watch, day by day, I have to be honest I was so impressed by them. The future of Welsh football as it stands, if they keep developing, should be very exciting."
This latest squad also sees the return of senior duo Harry Wilson and Ethan Ampadu, both of whom were injured for the opening games of the campaign back in March.
"Harry, if you look at his performances for us in the first si games. His quality, the way he works for the team is incredible. The team does come first for him , which I really buy into and I really appreciate, but if you look at our goals, our assists, the creative bit in the final third, he's really on [those figures]."So we definitely missed that in the last two games. But he's a remarkable player for us and he fits in really well with how we play.
"Ethan we haven't had since September. I don't think we have someone at this present moment with his sort of profile. So he has been a loss. But we always adapt. We have to adapt. That's every nation as well."Josh Sheehan has done really well in games where we control games. But games where there's going to be transition, which big games really bring. We need everyone available and having Ethan available is a big, big bonus for us."
Bellamy is without Joe Allen following the midfielder's retirement, while captain Aaron Ramsey is ruled out through injury amid ongoing uncertainty over his future both at international and club level.
"He's busy with rehab at the moment," Bellamy responded when quizzed on the Cardiff City midfielder. "I spoke to him a couple of days after the last game at Norwich and then I saw him doing rehab.
"So we speak but he's going to be a few months away. then we'll see where he's at . The most important thing now is he comes through his rehab and then the decision is his. Whatever he chooses we go with. It's as simple as that."
Wales take on Liechtenstein on Friday, June 6 at the Cardiff City Stadium, before then heading to Brussels to take on Belgium three days later.