Craig Bellamy has been appointed as the coach of the Wales men's national team, with a contract extending until 2028, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) announced on Tuesday. Bellamy, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant to Vincent Kompany at Burnley, takes over following Kompany's surprise move to Bayern Munich in May.

Expressing his excitement about the new role, Bellamy said, "It's an incredible honor for me to be allowed to lead my country, and it's the proudest moment of my career. Becoming the Cymru head coach was always my ultimate dream, and I am ready for the challenge. I will give my full commitment to developing this team and am passionate about bringing continued success to Welsh football. I can't wait to get started with our Nations League games in September."

Bellamy's first official match in charge will be against Turkey in the UEFA Nations League in Cardiff on September 6.

Dr. David Adams, FAW's chief football officer, expressed his enthusiasm for Bellamy's appointment: "I am delighted to announce Craig as our new head coach. We conducted a thorough recruitment process for the new men's national team head coach, and Craig was identified as the standout candidate. We are all looking forward to the Nations League games and working with Craig to deliver success for Welsh Football."

During his playing career, Bellamy earned 78 caps for Wales, scoring 19 goals between 1998 and 2014. He also had notable spells at Newcastle United, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Blackburn Rovers at the club level.