Craig Bellamy hasn't left yet, but the Football Association of Wales is already planning for a world without him. An official approach from Burnley has forced their hand, and with Euro 2028 on home soil creeping closer, they can't afford to be caught flat-footed.
Eight names are reportedly in the conversation. Some are realistic. Some are wishful thinking. And one comes with more baggage than a budget airline.
The realistic candidates
Rob Edwards is available — Wolves just relieved him of his duties following their relegation — and he's well regarded inside FAW circles. The problem is his CV reads like a relegation specialist: dropped with Luton, dropped with Wolves. Two top-flight exits in two seasons isn't the springboard most national associations are looking for, and he lacks the profile to genuinely excite a nation heading into a home tournament.
Andrew Crofts is already in the building as one of Bellamy's lieutenants, which makes him the continuity pick. His work under Roberto De Zerbi and Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton earned him genuine respect. But 29 caps as a midfielder doesn't make you a headline appointment, and Wales needs more than quiet competence right now.
Steve Cooper is probably the most compelling name on the list. He won the under-17 World Cup with England — that Phil Foden, Marc Guehi, Morgan Gibbs-White generation — took Swansea within 90 minutes of the Premier League, and got Nottingham Forest promoted. The stumbles at Leicester and Brondby (winless in 10, missed European qualification) are real concerns, but the ceiling is higher than almost anyone else on this list. The salary question is genuine though. Cooper is used to Premier League-level contracts.
Osian Roberts is the dark horse with the strongest recent form. He was widely credited as the tactical architect of Wales' Euro 2016 run under Chris Coleman, then helped Morocco reach the World Cup semi-finals, worked as Patrick Vieira's No.2 at Crystal Palace, and just helped Cesc Fabregas take Como into the Champions League for the first time. That's a serious coaching résumé. Whether the FAW will actually ask him is another question entirely.
The names that need more time
Aaron Ramsey is the inevitable future Wales manager — just not yet. Bright, knowledgeable, with the kind of playing career that buys you credibility in a dressing room immediately. But handing a first senior job to someone who's never managed a club, even with close friend Chris Gunter alongside him, feels like a gamble Wales can't afford with a home Euros on the horizon. 2028 makes more sense as a starting point.
Eric Ramsay — different spelling, different playing career (Welshpool Town and Loughborough University rather than Arsenal and Juventus) — was reportedly the back-up option to Bellamy last time. His Minnesota United spell was genuinely impressive: club records for wins, points and goals. Then West Brom sacked him after nine games with the team sitting 21st. He's not out of the picture, but the momentum has gone.
Thierry Henry is the glamour option. The FAW consulted Arsene Wenger about him previously, and Henry does have a genuine connection to Wales through his coaching badges. He'd be a marketing phenomenon — worldwide name, commercial pull that could offset the cost. His management record at Monaco, Montreal and France under-21s has been inconsistent, but nobody would be switching over when Wales play.
Ryan Giggs has, by win percentage, one of the best records of any Wales manager. He qualified the team for a major tournament. The circumstances of his departure — a domestic assault charge, a trial, an acquittal — mean the FAW are unlikely to go back there regardless of what fans think. Some doors, once closed, stay closed.
Internal option Matthew Jones, in charge of the under-21s since 2022, rounds out the list as a name that will be mentioned and probably left where it is.
The FAW's preference is clear: keep Bellamy. But if Burnley's offer proves too good to turn down, they're looking at a decision that will define Welsh football's most important tournament window in a generation.
