BBC pundit Ashley Williams lands first senior coaching role in major career change 6 years after retiring from football

ASHLEY WILLIAMS has been appointed to Craig Bellamy’s backroom staff with Wales. Ex-Dragons captain Williams played 86 times for his country and led Chris Coleman’s men on their incredible run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals. Ashley Williams has been appointed to Wales’ backroom staff Credit: BBC Williams will work with Wales manager Craig Bellamy Credit: Alamy The 42-year-old has been a Match of the Day pundit for the BBC and has also worked for talkSPORT. Former Swansea and Everton centre-back Williams is a Uefa A Licence holder and has coached at Wales youth level but this is his first senior role as one of Bellamy’s assistant coaches. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Ex-Swans coach Alan Sheehan is also joining Bellamy’s staff as a No2 for the autumn Nations League matches, which start against Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Portugal on September 24. The League A clash in Lisbon is followed by an away day in Denmark before home fixtures with Erling Haaland‘s Norway and the Danes in Cardiff. Bellamy, who was set to join Burnley in the summer before the move collapsed at the 11th hour, has been on the hunt for new coaches. The Wales boss lost both Piet Cremers and James Rowberry in recent months. Cremers quit to take on the head coach role at Club Brugge’s youth academy in the Belgian second tier. While Rowberry opted to focus on his day-to-day job as No2 to Mark Robins at Stoke. Most read in Football SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Tottenham assistant Andrew Crofts, who joined Roberto De Zerbi from Brighton, will remain in his Welsh post as Bellamy’s right-hand man. Bellamy is in the third year of his four-year contract with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) having failed to qualify for the World Cup. He names his squad for the Nations League fixtures in Cardiff next Tuesday. Comment now