Who is Cremers, Wales boss in Bellamy's absence?

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World Cup qualifier: Liechtenstein v Wales

Venue: Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz Date: Saturday, 15 November Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Coverage: Live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Two, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and Sports Extra, BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary.

Wales assistant boss Piet Cremers counts Pep Guardiola and Vincent Kompany as two of the key influences in his burgeoning career that is set for its next significant step forward.

Having worked under the two Manchester City legends, Cremers knows a thing or two about what it takes to win.

So you would imagine Wales will be in safe hands in Liechtenstein on Saturday when Cremers takes charge of a team for the first time in the crucial World Cup qualifier.

Wales head coach Craig Bellamy, who is suspended for the game in Vaduz, has confirmed he has handed the reins to Cremers, who only turned 31 last month.

"We spend a lot of time together, we go through the analysis of opposition and we talk a lot," said Bellamy.

"He's given me a real big insight into the game, but he did when I was at Burnley with him as well. His experience at the level, where he's been and who he's been with.

"He's been a huge asset and there's a part of me that [thinks] he deserves this moment."

Cremers will become the youngest coach to lead a Uefa national team in a competitive match since Terry Neill was in charge of Northern Ireland - taking over on a player-manager basis for a Euro 1972 qualifier against the USSR in October 1971 aged 29, five months and five days.

But while Cremers may be relatively young in coaching terms, he is not lacking in the top-level experiences he hopes will lead him to become a manager in his own right one day.

The Dutchman, who has also worked at Brentford, originally joined Manchester City as a match analyst for the under-23s before his promotion to Guardiola's set-up as chief analyst in 2018, playing a role in four Premier League title wins.

Upon leaving his role as head of analysis and insights at City in 2022, Cremers took up the position as assistant coach under Kompany at Turf Moor - where he was integral in the club's 2023 promotion into the Premier League as champions with a points total of 101.

And it was at Burnley where Cremers forged a close relationship with Bellamy, who also worked under Kompany.

Indeed, one of Bellamy's first key decisions following his appointment as Wales head coach in the summer of 2024 was to appoint Cremers to his staff.

When asked in November 2024 what Cremers added to his team, Bellamy replied: "Everything. The year we had at Burnley was down to him.

"We murdered the league, and it was that. It hadn't been done before.

"Piet really pushed us towards this way. Vinny was always very intelligent about sounding out the best people.

"He brought Piet into our world then and it was just like 'wow', he moved so many different areas for us."

Bellamy and Cremers are masterminding Wales' push to qualify for their second successive World Cup, having previously not made the finals since 1958.

One day, Cremers will become a head coach in his own right.

Earlier this summer he turned down an approach from Belgian side Club Brugge to take charge of their reserve side Club NXT, in a move that would likely have seen Cremers eventually take charge of the senior team.

Cremers stayed loyal to Wales and Bellamy, refusing to leave midway through a qualification campaign.

But there will be a day when Cremers and Bellamy will part to pave the way for the Dutchman to take his first head coach position.

Given what he has already achieved, going it alone will not daunt Cremers.

But first the matter of Liechtenstein and qualifying for the World Cup.

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