Craig Bellamy takes new action as Burnley job stance becomes clearer | OneFootball

Wales manager Craig Bellamy has made two huge decisions on his immediate future, with one concerning Burnley and the managerial vacancy at Turf Moor..

Craig Bellamy has been linked with the Burnley vacancy for some time now, with the Wales manager the assistant coach at Turf Moor under Vincent Kompany.

It's fair to say that Craig Bellamy has had an interesting career as a manager already, with the Welshman initially becoming part of the U-21 team coaching staff for Belgian side Anderlecht following the appointment of his former Manchester City teammate Vincent Kompany as first-team manager.

He later worked as an assistant to Kompany before reuniting with the Belgian at Burnley. In May 2024, after Kompany left to join Bayern Munich in the wake of Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League, Bellamy was appointed acting head coach temporarily as well.

However, not long after, Bellamy was announced as the Wales boss. They have been his first steps into a full-time senior position, with it being so far unclear if he would prefer a return to club football over managing the national team ahead of Euro 2028. Of course, Bellamy's Wales side are not at the World Cup this summer after losing to Bosnia on penalties in Cardiff City in March.

Wales manager Craig Bellamy makes decision to join Burnley

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With the 46-year-old in charge of the national team since July 2024, he could have been eyeing remaining in post through the tournament, but Bellamy has been linked to Burnley to replace Scott Parker since April.

It then appeared as though Bellamy would stay as Wales boss over joining Burnley but the situation could now have changed for the Wales legend. Now it appears less certain about what is to happen regarding his future with the national team.

Burnley are said to have made a fresh approach to Bellamy in recent days and a further update has landed from Alan Nixon. He claims Bellamy is to do a "dramatic U-turn" in order to take up the vacancy at Turf Moor.

Not only that, but he is changing agent to do so, having "surprisingly" hooked up with Will Salthouse's firm to make a return to Burnley. Before now, he had repeatedly pledged his allegiance to the national team but the deal on offer at Turf Moor "is likely to change that."

The switch to Burnley makes so much sense for Craig Bellamy

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From a personal perspective, a return to Burnley is making plenty of sense for Bellamy. While stepping away from Wales is a significant decision, the opportunity to manage a club with genuine Premier League ambitions is difficult to ignore. It could easily enhance his reputation far more than whatever he does with Wales.

Burnley have challenged for automatic promotion in each of their last three Championship campaigns and are likely to be among the favourites to do so again in 2026/27, giving Bellamy a realistic chance of securing top-flight football early in his managerial career.

There is also the financial aspect to consider. The recent report from Nixon suggests Bellamy is in line for a substantial salary increase at Turf Moor compared to his current Wales role. Combined with the club's resources and expectation of success, Burnley are offering Bellamy an attractive platform to continue his development as a manager.

The question marks are over his tactical acumen and whether he can get this team in receipt of parachute payments motoring. It's a strong division next season, with numerous big names and clubs with deep pockets, but Burnley will expect to be in and amongst the challengers.