Burnley Pursues Craig Bellamy as New Manager
Burnley have made their first move to bring Craig Bellamy back to Turf Moor, sounding out the Football Association of Wales over the possibility of appointing the national team boss as their new manager.
The Championship club are deep into their search for a successor to Scott Parker, who left in April in the wake of relegation from the Premier League. Bellamy’s name has never been far from the conversation. Now it has gone beyond speculation.
An enquiry has been lodged with the FAW, but no agreement is in place and no deal is close. At this stage, it is a question, not yet a negotiation.
Even so, it is a bold play. Bellamy, 46, has two years left on his Wales contract and only recently nailed his colours to the international mast. Earlier this month, before a friendly against Ghana, he spoke openly about turning down other approaches to focus on leading his country towards Euro 2028.
“Wales have given me this opportunity and I’m really grateful for that. I’m fully focused on the next two years and being Welsh manager is unique, full stop,” he said, underlining just how seriously he views the role.
He went further, pointing to the weight of the job and the pull of what lies ahead. “To be national team manager – I’m sure plenty of Welsh people and ex-players would give anything to be in this position, and the ones who have been in this position would want to be here again.
“It’s an amazing time and I don’t want to wish that away. And then to have the opportunity of a home nations tournament and going to the Principality Stadium – I can only imagine what the streets (in Cardiff) would be like leading into it."
Those are not the words of a man itching to bolt at the first club offer. Burnley know that. They are testing how firm that commitment really is.
Bellamy’s connection with the Clarets is not new. The former Liverpool and Manchester City striker worked as assistant to Vincent Kompany at Turf Moor, helping to shape the high-tempo, possession-heavy side that stormed to promotion in 2023. He understands the club, the expectations, the scale of the rebuild now required in the Championship.
Since stepping up to the Wales job in 2024, he has already had a taste of high-stakes international management. He guided Wales into the World Cup play-offs earlier this year, only to see their campaign end in heartbreak with a penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the semi-final in Cardiff in March.
That near miss has only sharpened the sense of unfinished business with the national team. A home nations European Championship in 2028, with games at the Principality Stadium and the promise of Cardiff streets packed in red, sits right at the heart of his current project.
Burnley, though, offer something different: daily work on the training ground, the grind and rhythm of club football, and the chance to lead a team of his own in a league he knows well. The Clarets are rebuilding their identity after the short Parker spell and the drop from the top flight. They want a figurehead with authority, energy, and a clear idea of how to play. Bellamy ticks every box on paper.
For now, the lines are open and the positions are clear. Burnley are interested. Wales are protective. Bellamy is publicly committed.
The real question is how long that triangle holds if the Clarets decide to turn an enquiry into a full-blooded push for their former assistant.
