By Graham Thomas
Craig Bellamy may have tempted one Wales legend out of retirement, but he believes another is in the wings when he gets back to fitness.
Joe Allen’s return to national duties at the age of 34 had been flagged up for some time after Swansea City revealed Wales manager Bellamy had been in touch.
There’s no doubt that Allen has been a source of optimism for Red Wall members in the past, evidenced by their “Give Me Hope, Joe Allen…” song, but the proof may be in the Icelandic pudding next week when Belllamy’s team resume their Nations League campaign.
As Allen comes back into the squad, Ethan Ampadu is out after suffering a knee injury playing for Leeds United.
How big a blow is that? Considerable, if you listen to the praise which was showered on Ampadu when Bellamy spoke about the former Chelsea midfielder.
“Ethan is a tough loss,” says Bellamy who has known and watched Ampadu since the player was a teenager coming through the ranks with Exeter City.
“Sometimes, you see good players, but it’s only actually when you get to work with them, you realise how good they are.
“With Ethan, I was sort of blown away watching him when he was about 14 years old. He was being swapped by one age group team to another because they were losing, and then when they were winning, he would be swapped back again.”
Even though Allen has now reversed the decision he made to retire from international football after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Wales still have a shortage of leaders.
Allen was part of a raft of players – which included Gareth Bale – who decided to call it a day after that demoralising tournament campaign and even though Aaron Ramsey has continued, the continual injury problems of the captain have robbed Bellamy of the squad’s loudest voice.
Little surprise, then, that Ampadu has been upgraded to one of the lead baritones in the Bellamy opera at the age of just 24.
The manager adds: “I have watched a lot of his career and what I really like with him is the person. He’s a leader.
“I spoke to him on Saturday evening and then again on Monday after he had his scan. As a young man, he is so strong and able to overcome setbacks.
“He knows he has to work very hard to hit the ground running when he comes back, but for us as a group, it gives opportunities again.
“We can’t be relying on one player, we won’t be relying on one player, so it allows us to maybe be a little bit flexible and help us move one or two things as well.
“But we are adapting and that is what it’s about. I am really disappointed that we don’t have him, because of the talent he is, and also the character he is.
But the most important part is the human-being side. He’s an impressive human being, and he’ll come back.”
Without Ampadu, the focus for a midfield fulcrum and organiser may well fall to Allen in Reykjavík next Friday night. That would be some comeback to the big time for Pembrokeshire’s most famous chicken-rearer.
The 74-times capped Allen quit international football in February 2023 when Rob Page was Wales manager, saying “time and injuries” had taken their toll on him.
The 34-year-old is among Wales’ greatest-ever midfielders – playing a key role when the Dragons reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 – but injuries have restricted him to a handful of cameo appearances from the Swansea bench this season.
Bellamy has admitted he cannot be sure that Allen will still be around by the time of the next World Cup in 2026, but it is more about the here and now.
“We want to play in a certain way and Joe fits into that, perfectly. If we want to be that type of team, having him around will enable us to get there faster.”
Wales opened their Nations League Group B4 campaign with an impressive 0-0 draw at home to Euro 2024 quarter-finalists Turkey before winning 2-1 in atrocious conditions away to Montenegro.
Another four-point tally from games against Iceland and then at home to Montenegro, would set Wales up nicely for the remainder of the competition as well as the World Cup qualifiers to come next year.
As Eddie Grant almost put it, “Gimme hope, Joe Allen, Hope, Joe Allen Gimme hope, Joe Allen, fore the morning come . . . “
