Wales head coach Craig Bellamy believes Harry Wilson has some of the same qualities as his illustrious former team-mates, Luis Suarez, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.
Wilson has been one of Wales’ outstanding players in recent times, underlining his value to the team last month when he became the first Welshman to score in three successive international matches since Gareth Bale in 2016.
Although he has not yet started a Premier League game for Fulham this season, Wilson scored two goals in added time as a substitute to give his club a dramatic 2-1 win over Brentford on Monday.
“I was there and it was great to see him involved. I am a huge, huge fan,” Bellamy said after including Wilson in a 26-man squad for this month’s Nations League matches against Turkey and Iceland.
“He’s a player I’m really impressed with, especially his attitude. I’m sure it is frustrating for him at Fulham at the moment, but that’s life and sometimes it doesn’t go your way. It will only change if you work hard.
“He is so strong and he’s streetwise like the South Americans. I played with Suarez, Tevez and Mascherano and the way they used their bodies was amazing.
“Harry uses his body in that way and if you get too tight to him, you foul him. His smartness and how he is able to press, his intensity and what he is able to do, really tells me how good a player he is.”
Bellamy played alongside legendary former Uruguay striker Suarez and ex-Argentina midfielder Mascherano at Liverpool, while another great of Argentine football, Tevez, was among his team-mates at Manchester City.
The former Wales captain has been hugely impressed by Wilson since succeeding Rob Page as his country’s manager in the summer, describing the 27-year-old as “the footballer’s footballer” following his match-winning display against Montenegro in October.
The retirement of Gareth Bale, Wales’ all-time leading scorer and cap holder, in January 2023 left an enormous void and, although few players could even dream of filling that gap on their own, Wilson has risen to new levels since Bale’s departure.
He scored two goals during last year’s momentous 2-1 win over 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Croatia, while his recent scoring exploits have only been one element of his eye-catching performances.
“I love him without the ball,” said Bellamy, who won the last of his 78 caps as a 16-year-old Wilson made his debut in 2013.
“It hasn’t been easy for him because every player wants to be playing. You can see he has been working hard because players don’t have that kind of impact if they are not professional and conduct themselves well.
“I saw his quality last year when we [Burnley, where Bellamy was assistant coach] played against him and I saw his numbers. It took us aback. How is this little kid running and sprinting so much? It was elite level, really impressive.
“I was there when he made his debut for Wales and I felt he was a kid who was going to come through and have a big future for Wales. I believe he has done that and at the moment he is outstanding.”