Craig Bellamy has defended his decision to play England in a friendly, despite Wales being defeated 3-0 at Wembley on Thursday night. The match, dubbed the "Battle of Britain," took place just four days before Wales' crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium on Monday, leading some fans to question the timing of the fixture.

Bellamy, however, insisted that his team would gain more than they lost from the sobering experience, even though they conceded three goals in the first 20 minutes. Goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, and Bukayo Saka sealed the victory for England.

"I wanted this game, I needed to see where we are," Bellamy said after the match. "I can play Lithuania or someone if you want – and that's no disrespect to them – but we'll have loads of the ball and try to break them down."

Bellamy emphasized the importance of facing top-tier opposition to gauge Wales' progress and identify areas for improvement. "Where do we want to go? Who do we want to be? Even now that fills me more with motivation, more hunger," he stated. He believes that exposing his players to the "physical profile, speed, duels" of the England players is essential for their development. "That's where you want our players to be. I want them to feel that," he added.

The Wales manager wants his players to understand the level they need to reach to compete with the best teams in the world. "This is where we want to be, but we know we have to play at the top to be up against these teams. I want our egos to be hurt, I like us to be annoyed, but Monday is a different game," Bellamy explained.

Bellamy believes that the defeat will serve as a valuable learning experience for his squad. "You don't go anywhere being damaged. Once you get your a kicked you learn the most, and I got my a kicked," he said.

Reflecting on the game, Bellamy acknowledged the difficult start. "The first 20 minutes was tough. It's a very difficult place to come without starting the way we did," he said. "We made it very difficult for ourselves and we had to suffer a lot of pain."

Prior to the match, Bellamy had asserted that Wales would not adopt a defensive approach against England, stating that they would "die a slow death" if they did. He emphasized the importance of playing their own brand of football, even against a team ranked fourth in the world. "We're here to come and play, and to play our brand of football the way we play, at an incredible place like Wembley, which it is,” Bellamy said. "So to us it is exciting." He insisted that Wales were not at Wembley as "tourists" but to be the "best version of themselves".

Wales now turn their attention to the crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium on Monday, where they will be looking to bounce back from the defeat and secure a vital victory.