I have teamed up with Man City ally but I am no Pep Guardiola clone

Wales manager Craig Bellamy has made clear he isn't simply emulating Pep Guardiola, despite his association with former Manchester City performance analysis head Piet Cremers.

Bellamy, who had previously worked with Cremers at Burnley during Vincent Kompany's tenure, was adamant about bringing the Dutch analyst into the fold after taking the reins as Wales manager in July.

The decision has certainly paid off, with Bellamy making history as the first Wales boss to stay unbeaten in his first four matches at the helm.

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With a Nations League Group B4 showdown against leaders Turkey approaching, where a win coupled with another against Iceland in Cardiff could promote Wales to Europe's elite level, Bellamy praised Cremers impact.

"It's been everything," the former Man City forward told PA Sport.

"I knew (before he joined Burnley) that he was in the analysis world and Pep's analyst for four or five years, day to day, so (having) the insight of one of the real incredible minds.

"To be able to tap into that and I'm not a little Pep, if you know what I mean. I have different ways and no-one is him.

"But to get an insight and to see his view, it gets you looking at something. Because we (Cremers and Bellamy) are so aligned in what we see, it allows me to find comfort as well.

"If I showed you some of the shapes you'd be like, 'that's insane'. But he puts it into practice, 'No, this is actually the right thing to do, this is how we do this'.

"I've seen him work it and I was like, 'Wow, this works, this is serious'."

Cremers' coaching career spans roles at Nijmegen, Excelsior Rotterdam, and Breda in the Netherlands, as well as a stint at Brentford before joining Manchester City in 2018. He made the move to Burnley in August 2022, where the team dominated the Championship, securing the title with 101 points and a remarkable goal difference of plus 52.

Bellamy credits Cremers for the team's success, stating: "The year we had at Burnley was down to him. We murdered the league, and it was that. It hadn't been done before.

"Someone else might have got five-odd points more (over a season) but, trust me, you didn't do what we did. Nobody did.

"We only lost three games all season and one of them was when we were already promoted. It was the manner in which we did it.

"From November onwards, nobody saw the ball, everywhere we went. Home or away, it was an annihilation. If teams got a 0-0 draw, they were applauding and doing a lap of honour.

"It was just like, 'Wow'. We were able to find different solutions, able to adapt. Piet really pushed us towards this way.

"Vinny was always very intelligent about sounding out the best people from here, taking that idea from here. He brought Piet into our world and he moved so many different areas for us."

Alongside fellow assistant coaches Andrew Crofts, James Rowberry, and Ryland Morgans, Cremers has helped Bellamy implement a more intense playing style for Wales, with a strong focus on both on and off-ball play.

Wales are currently ranked second behind Germany in terms of creating scoring opportunities in the Nations League, while they also rank among the top teams in terms of possession, surpassed only by England, Austria, Netherlands, and Portugal.

Bellamy stated: "I'd love to sit here and take credit but it's Piet, (Andrew) Crofts, Rowbs (James Rowberry). These people I've been able to bring in, it's them. I don't believe it's just one shining guy, it's the people you have around you."