Wales begin their UEFA Nations League campaign in League A facing three sides ranked above them, Portugal, Denmark and Norway, with opening away trips to Lisbon and Copenhagen before home fixtures in Cardiff. With that schedule in mind, head coach Craig Bellamy has reshaped his backroom team, bringing in former captain Ashley Williams and ex-Swansea City boss Alan Sheehan as assistant coaches.


The appointments follow the departures of two key staff: James Rowberry, who chose to focus on his club role at Stoke City, and Piet Cremers, whose analytical work Bellamy rated highly but who left for Belgium’s Club NXT in July. Cremers, a former Manchester City colleague of Bellamy under Pep Guardiola and later part of the Burnley setup with Vincent Kompany, had been a trusted in-game sounding board. Bellamy says he is now keen to take on more of those analytical responsibilities himself while refreshing the group with new voices.


“I loved this summer interviewing people, seeing who could add to us,” Bellamy said. “It freshens you up, gives you a different eye. Different strengths coming in means a different dynamic to how you work, which leaves me quite excited.”


Ashley Williams: leadership, “dark arts” of defending and dressing-room authority

At 42, Williams will not add to his 86 caps for Wales, but he returns in a coaching capacity after a playing career that peaked at Euro 2016, when he captained the side to the semi-finals against Ronaldo’s Portugal. Bellamy has described him as Wales’ “greatest captain” of the modern era, noting his high football IQ and the respect he commands.


That presence is seen as vital for a young squad heading into hostile away environments. “He can be someone who speaks from experience and will go into that dressing room and immediately command respect,” said Euro 2016 teammate Sam Vokes. “Portugal and Denmark away, he has played in those environments. He will be able to speak to the lads that are going out in those environments because he led by example.”


FAW chief football officer Dave Adams highlighted Williams’ specific value in Nations League A, where Wales are likely to defend large portions of games. “Some of the dark arts of defending, he’ll bring some interesting things for the players to think about,” Adams said on the Feast of Football podcast.


Bellamy also expects Williams to challenge his thinking in a healthy way. “With his position, sometimes it’s easier coming from a player who’s been in there,” Bellamy said. “Now, I’ll lead a lot on the information, but it’s nice for me to be able to ask, ‘What would you see with this? If you played there, how did you feel when I asked you to do that? Is that possible?’ I believe he’ll be a huge asset to me.”


Alan Sheehan: set-pieces, restarts and pragmatic detail

Sheehan, 40, arrives after leaving Swansea City in November 2025 following a seven-month spell. While his tenure in south Wales was mixed, his reputation for organised, pragmatic coaching, and a strong eye for set-pieces, is well established from previous roles at Luton and Southampton.


The FAW explicitly targeted that expertise. “We really want someone who is in tune with restarts and set-pieces,” Adams said. “In these sorts of games, they could be the factor that give us a chance to win the game, because they are going to be very hard games to play in. We realise the importance of attacking and defending set-pieces in these next six games, and feel Alan and [goalkeeping coach] Martyn Margetson will bring that level of detail to help the team be best prepared.”


Andrew Crofts, the former Wales midfielder now a Tottenham assistant, remains part of the setup, providing continuity as Bellamy integrates Williams and Sheehan.


The stakes: Euro 2028 seeding and a brutal fixture run

Wales’ Nations League results feed into the pathway for Euro 2028 qualification, influencing potential play-off routes if the conventional qualifiers do not go to plan. With first-choice centre-backs Joe Rodon and Dylan Lawlor injured, Bellamy has already called up Cardiff forward Cian Ashford for his first senior squad as he navigates a congested window: four games in 11 days to start, then two more in November.


Bellamy, who confirmed he was “committed” to Wales after holding talks with Burnley over their managerial vacancy, says the format will test his squad but excites him given the new coaching dynamic. “I’ve tried for ages to get Ash to commit,” he added. “He’ll be a big, big help to the group so I’m really looking forward to working with both of them.”