Inside 'obsessed' next Celtic manager candidate's meticulous preparation as ex Rangers man waxes lyrical
A leading contender to succeed Martin O’Neill in the Celtic Park hotseat could be available in the coming months
Ex-Rangers loan flop Aaron Ramsey has been keeping a close eye on compatriot Craig Bellamy’s rapid start to life in management as he offered an intriguing insight into the meticulous preparation that Celtic could come to expect from the Welshman.
Ex-Arsenal and Juventus midfielder Ramsey has been full of praise for the way Bellamy has transitioned from playing to managing at the top level. He started out as an academy coach with Cardiff City before going on to work as Under-21 boss of Belgian side Anderlecht.
Thereafter, the 46-year-old served as assistant to his former Man City team-mate Vincent Kompany before renewing acquaintances again at Burnley, which eventually led to Bellamy’s big breakthrough.
Appointed head coach of the Wales national team in July 2024, Bellamy - who played for Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester City during his playing career - would become the first boss ever to go unbeaten in their first four games in charge - and since then he's won eight of his 17 matches in the dugout for his country.
Despite suffering World Cup qualification heartbreak after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday night, Bellamy’s stock remains high amid ongoing links to the Parkhead hotseat.
Ramsey played under Bellamy for a brief spell and reckons the 78-times capped former Premier League star has an extremely bright future ahead of him in management.
Speaking on talkSPORT, during an appearance at Topps' Rip Night in London, Ramsey said: “I think he's been absolutely brilliant. I can't speak highly enough of him. I think what he's done with Wales so far has been absolutely brilliant. He's transformed the team.
“I think the amount of detail that goes into everything with him is exceptional, really. I think the players have fed off that and produced some really, really strong performances.
“I've worked with him for a few years now, and he's exceptional. The amount of detail that goes into it, he's obsessed, he's curious. He's had some real highs so far in his short managerial career. Even as a coach with Burnley, promotion and the football they were playing in the Premier League.
“Yeah, it was a little bit more difficult, but they learned so much and they played some really good stuff at times. Now he's taken that on himself and he's ready for that next challenge... he's come straight in and hit the ground running with Wales.
“I'm sure the sky is the limit for where he wants to go with his managerial career. I can't speak highly enough of him.”
Why Craig Bellamy was always destined to become a manager
With Bellamy’s career in management going from strength to strength, former Wales striker Sam Vokes shed some light on his old international team-mate, who he insists showed signs from early on that he wanted to get his points across from the touchline.
“He was always that leader on the pitch,” Vokes admitted. “Especially for myself, a big group of us came through at the same time as young players, he was always someone we looked up to as a player.
“I remember watching him as a fan and he always had that excitement when he played. I think for us coming through, we learned a lot from Craig and you could always see him taking that next step. It doesn't surprise me now he's got the main job.”
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