Veteran defender Ben Davies is optimistic about Cymru’s future under new head coach Craig Bellamy, describing the current period as “exciting times.”
Davies, 31, captained Cymru to a 2-1 Nations League victory in Montenegro on Monday, giving Bellamy a promising start with four points from his first two matches in charge. This follows a well-received goalless draw with Turkey at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday.
In a challenging match in Niksic, where torrential rain created difficult conditions, Cymru quickly established a two-goal lead within the first three minutes. Kieffer Moore scored within 37 seconds, and Harry Wilson added a stunning 25-yard strike shortly after. Despite the adverse weather, Cymru showed both attacking intent and resilience, holding on for the win.
Davies, who played a key role in Cymru’s run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016, believes the team is well-positioned for future success. “It’s a great start and I think we can really kick on as a team,” said the Tottenham Hotspur player. “We’ve worked hard; after that one week of working together we saw the results in the performance. It’s very exciting times.”
Bellamy, who took over from Robert Page following his departure in July, has set high standards and encouraged a more adventurous style of play. The new manager was particularly impressed with the team’s determination in such harsh conditions, stating, “I’m extremely proud. I love this group, I really do.”
Davies noted that Bellamy was pleased with the team’s performance. “He was very happy,” Davies said. “In games like that, it becomes a bit more of a fight than about the quality that we are capable of. That’s what we did tonight; we fought, we gave our all. It was pretty tough conditions, but sometimes you get just as much enjoyment out of getting through those.”
