Craig Bellamy has a long and storied history with Denmark, and the Wales manager will hope to add another positive result to that record when his side face the Danes in the Nations League, this time from the touchline rather than the pitch.
Bellamy's connection to matches against Denmark stretches back nearly two decades. In one memorable outing, he came off the bench to score a winning goal in Copenhagen, a moment he still recalls vividly despite a mixed reception from his own teammates at the time. "I got loads of stick for it after the game as well, from the players in the changing room, and they weren't too happy," Bellamy said, reflecting on the occasion. He added that, at just 19 years old and prolific in front of goal at Championship level, the moment stood out as one of the happiest of his career, even though his teammates looked at him "with such disgust" afterwards. Bellamy also joked about the aesthetics of the occasion, saying, "The kit was awful; I looked awful," while acknowledging that Wales had otherwise been outplayed that day.
A decade after that Copenhagen strike, Bellamy struck again against Denmark, this time in a friendly played roughly 15 miles southwest of Parken Stadium in November 2008. That match also marked the international debut of Aaron Ramsey. Bellamy found the net from around 20 yards in the 77th minute, beating goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to secure an unexpected win for Wales under then-manager John Toshack. Toshack later revealed that he had specifically instructed Bellamy to operate in a deeper role and exploit space in behind, a tactical tweak that paid off. "I asked him to play deeper and go behind, and he still got his chances in the first half and scored the winning goal as well," Toshack said at the time.
Now in charge of Wales as head coach, Bellamy faces a different kind of challenge against the same opponents. Interestingly, current Wales left-back Jay Dasilva, who was born only six months after Bellamy's famous Copenhagen goal, revealed that the manager had never brought up the moment with the current squad — something Dasilva said he intended to raise with Bellamy after facing media duties ahead of the fixture.
Both Wales and Denmark head into this latest meeting under similar pressure. Denmark, managed by Brian Riemer, suffered a 3-2 defeat away to Norway in their opening Nations League A fixture, mirroring a loss for Wales in their own opener. Neither side qualified for this year's World Cup — Denmark missing out despite a play-off route, and Wales falling in a penalty shootout defeat to Czechia. Wales have not recorded a win since beating North Macedonia last November, while Denmark's last victory came against the same opponents during World Cup play-off action in March.
Riemer has already labelled the upcoming clash a "must-win" for his side, and Bellamy said he could understand the frustration among Danish supporters given their side's recent form. Despite his own history of delivering big moments against Denmark, Bellamy chose to remain cautious in his pre-match comments, saying he preferred not to "poke the bear" with bold predictions. Still, given his track record against this particular opponent, Wales will hope their manager can inspire another chapter of success as they look to make an impression in the top tier of the Nations League.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.