Craig Bellamy poised to quit Wales as he enters advanced talks over Burnley return | OneFootball

Wales appear set to lose manager Craig Bellamy, with the 46-year-old in advanced talks to take charge at Sky Bet Championship club Burnley.

Bellamy, who is halfway through a four-year contract with the national side, had initially committed himself to Wales and their Euro 2028 campaign, despite speculation linking him to Celtic and the Clarets.

However, Burnley have pushed hard for their former coach to succeed Scott Parker following their relegation from the Premier League. The Press Association now understands Bellamy is in contract talks with the Lancashire club.

Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, commented on the situation to S4C: "You have to be open to the fact that people can express themselves in different ways. But Craig has been special to Welsh football.

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Craig Bellamy (left) gained coaching experience alongside Vincent Kompany at Burnley (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

“Craig has been fantastic for us in terms of the football we play and the energy we have. But of course, we have to be aware of the fact that we are in a huge football industry and that people have different objectives. In my opinion, Craig will go on to be a world-class coach."

Bellamy was appointed Wales manager in July 2024, having previously spent two years as Vincent Kompany’s assistant at Burnley.

He began his tenure impressively with a nine-game unbeaten run – five wins and four draws – and secured promotion to Nations League A.

However, Wales failed to qualify for this summer’s World Cup after losing a play-off semi-final penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March. Bellamy was blamed by many Wales fans for making poor substitutions after taking the lead in that Cardiff clash, and has not won any of his last four games.

Should Bellamy depart, former Nottingham Forest, Leicester and Swansea boss Steve Cooper, and ex-Wolves head coach Rob Edwards are among the early contenders to succeed him.

Cooper has been out of work since leaving Danish club Brondby earlier this year, while Edwards is now available following his shock Wolves exit.

Edwards oversaw Wolves’ relegation from the Premier League last season but had looked set to continue in his role, only for the Midlands club to opt to go in a different direction earlier this month.