Craig Bellamy has revealed he twice attempted to sign Joe Rodon during his coaching journey, as the centre-back prepares to win his 50th senior Wales cap against Iceland on Tuesday night.
The Wales manager praised Rodon's defensive qualities, particularly his 'box defending' and technical ability on the ball. 'He's so good at it,' Bellamy said. 'There's a lot of defenders that are not as good at that as him.'
Bellamy recalled his interest in Rodon dating back to 2018 when he was on the verge of taking the Oxford United job, and again when he worked under Vincent Kompany at Burnley. 'I remember when I was going to go to Oxford, I wanted him,' Bellamy said.
Rodon's spell at Tottenham was difficult, but Bellamy texted him after a mistake against Liverpool, saying 'keep your head up, you're going to be a top player.' He noted that Spurs had quality ahead of him, but other clubs were keen this summer.
Rodon played a key role in Wales' 0-0 draw against Turkey, maintaining Bellamy's unbeaten record. Wales can secure automatic promotion to Nations League A if they beat Iceland and Turkey drop points against Montenegro.
