‘It's about belief': Craig Bellamy hails Wales's spirit despite defeat in Belgium
Bellamy praised his players after they roused from 3-0 down to draw level at 3-3 before De Bruyne snatched victory in the 88th minute.
Wales trailed 3-0 inside 27 minutes after Romelu Lukaku's penalty and strikes by Youri Tielemans and Jérémy Doku. But the visitors pulled a goal back before half-time when Harry Wilson converted a penalty and second-half goals from Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson helped Bellamy's side earn parity.
Asked what he said to his players after the game, the 45-year-old said: 'I thanked them because they've given me something I never had in international football – belief. You've seen 5,500 fans here – the most we've taken away, apart from maybe England across the border – because they believe. I believe. In international football I had 70-odd caps [Bellamy won 78 caps as a player] where I didn't believe. It was hope. I don't want to live on hope. It's the hope that kills you. It's [about] belief. Can we come here and win? Three-nil down, still believing? It's crazy.'
Bellamy promised that his team would not 'camp' in Brussels and, despite a dreadful start, they came within minutes of a valuable point in Group J. 'It was like: 'We told you you'd be able to play here.' I'd rather try something great and fail than do nothing and succeed. I've always been that way. I might not be great at anything but I'll try to be. It means more. I liked that. What can we do here?
'I said I wasn't coming to sit back, it's not in my nature, don't do it … it's not who we are. So for me it was: can we come to a top-eight team in the world then and come and play?
'Before we've played here and it has been a different Wales. You have the ball, we sit deep – to change a mindset is completely different.
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'You need these types of tests. I know it's a loss and listen, it's not valiant Wales, no, it's a loss, I don't like it but also … if you're going to give me a loss, give me this loss.'
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