It will always be his identity – Craig Bellamy hails Gary Speed’s Wales legacy

Craig Bellamy paid tribute to the legacy left by Gary Speed by declaring that Welsh football will always carry his identity.

Speed, who played alongside Bellamy for Newcastle and Wales and also coached him at international level, took his own life in November 2011 at the age of 42.

He would have been 55 on Sunday, the day before Bellamy takes charge of Wales for the second time against Montenegro in the Nations League.

“I always wonder how he would have done certain things,” said Bellamy, who was visibly moved as he spoke about Speed ahead of Monday’s Group B4 clash in Niksic.

“He had a such a huge impact on me and this week I’ve probably looked back more than usual.

“I hope the players feel like I felt when he was first in charge. That sense of ‘we’re going to do something here’ because that’s how I honestly felt.

“I hope they get that and I hope I was able to relay some of the messages he was able to relay to us as a group.”

Speedo.