World Cup qualifying: Cardiff City’s youth and style a ‘dream’ for Wales boss Craig Bellamy

Craig Bellamy laughs when asked about Rubin Colwill, the 23-year-old forward currently impressing for Cardiff City.

«He’s big for you, isn’t he?,» Bellamy asks the reporter who brings up his name.

Not that Bellamy is not a fan of the nine-cap midfielder, to the contrary.

However, Colwill has not always featured in Bellamy’s Wales squads despite playing a starring role in Cardiff’s League One promotion bid and their quarter-final EFL Cup run.

«Rubin is able, there’s still one or two bits that we need more from, but he’s capable,» insists Bellamy who has plenty of other reasons to be a regular at Cardiff City Stadium.

«For the first time in a long, long time, I’ve really enjoyed coming away from Cardiff games with a smile,» he added.

«Last year was difficult, the atmosphere was down, but now I get to see a number of Welsh young players playing in a way I like.

«I only see them improving and selfishly I just see that this is going to benefit the country, so I’m over the moon with that.»

It is clear from Bellamy’s latest squad – for the final World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia – that he is enjoying this new youth movement at his hometown club.

Bellamy has not only selected Colwill, but his brother Joel, 21, as well as 18-year-old Ronan Kpakio and fellow defender, 19-year-old Dylan Lawlor.

The quartet could soon be joined in future international squads by the likes of forwards Cian Ashford (21), Isaak Davies (24) and Tanatswa Nyakuhwa (20), as well as goalkeeper Matthew Turner (23) and midfielder Dakarai Mafico (18).

Bellamy credits Bluebird’s boss Brian Barry-Murphy as a major reason for this Cardiff resurgence.

«The Cardiff manager is benefiting us, he’s benefiting us as a national team,» said Bellamy.

«The way he plays, we’re quite similar in how we try to move.

«The players he has playing, especially young players coming through – they have an average of six, seven Welsh players in the team, playing the way that we sort of play. We do it a little bit differently, but it’s not too dissimilar.

«It only benefits me, selfishly. So [Barry-Murphy] is a dream for me.»

After defeat to Belgium in Cardiff last month, Wales will almost certainly compete in the March play-offs for a place in next year’s World Cup finals in North America.

Wales sit third in Group J, four points behind leaders Belgium and three behind North Macedonia, their final group opponents who have played one game more.

A second place finish would mean a one-off home semi-final against a bottom seeded team before a one-game final.

Finish third and Bellamy’s team could face a difficult first away test against a top seed such as Italy.

«If we finish second then maybe it will allow us to avoid one or two top 10 teams on their grounds,» added Bellamy.

«That would be beneficial for us. Now that allows us to really be motivated to finish second for those reasons».