00:00Wales boss Craig Bellamy made headlines after a sharp exchange with Sky Sports presenter Dave Jones on Monday Night Football.
00:10During a segment covering his former team Newcastle United's 3-0 win over Leicester City,
00:16Bellamy was asked about his experiences in charge of the Welsh national team,
00:21a role he took up in July 2024 following Rob Page's departure.
00:26Since then, Bellamy has overseen a successful run with four wins and four draws from his eight matches in charge,
00:32including a solid start in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, earning four points from their first two games.
00:40The confrontation began when Jones suggested Wales was a smaller football nation, prompting a quick rebuttal from Bellamy.
00:48No, I disagree, he said firmly, leaving Jones momentarily caught off guard.
00:53Former Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher chimed in with a light-hearted,
00:57start that again, Dave, as Jones rephrased his comment, calling Wales a big footballing nation
01:03and later correcting it to a proud footballing nation.
01:08Jones also noted that Wales don't have an incredible history,
01:13a statement Bellamy swiftly countered, reminding him of their memorable semi-final run at Euro 2016.
01:19When Jones attempted to label Wales as an underdog in football,
01:25Bellamy outright rejected the idea.
01:28He said he'd never seen himself as an underdog and he never will now,
01:32emphasising Wales' position in world football is earned through merit.
01:36It's something different to what maybe he's been asked of Wales players before.
01:42And I'm listening, I'm not here to say this is right and that was wrong and there's no right or wrong.
01:46But how I look at the game, it was going to be a test for him and a test for the crowd and a test for use as well.
01:55We'll keep the ball moving.
01:56Now, for years we've seen that done to us.
01:59I didn't like it.
02:01With a strong start to their World Cup qualifying campaign,
02:06it's clear Wales are aiming to build on their historic moments
02:09and push for further success on the global stage.
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