Soccer

Craig Bellamy appointed acting head coach at Burnley

The 44-year-old Welshman has spent the last two seasons as assistant manager at Turf Moor.

Craig Bellamy has been named acting head coach at Burnley following the departure of Vincent Kompany
Craig Bellamy has been named acting head coach at Burnley following the departure of Vincent Kompany (Steve Welsh/PA)
By PA Sport Staff

Craig Bellamy has taken over as acting Burnley head coach following the departure of Vincent Kompany.

Bellamy has worked as Kompany’s assistant at Turf Moor over the past two seasons but has not followed the former Manchester City and Belgium captain to Bayern Munich.

“Following the departure of Vincent Kompany, we are actively working on our search for a permanent manager,” Burnley said in a statement on Thursday.

“In the meantime, the club has placed Craig Bellamy, assisted by Mike Jackson, in the roles of acting head coach and assistant head coach.

“We have complete faith in Craig and Mike and believe their extensive experience and deep understanding of the club make them the perfect candidates to lead the team at this important time.

“We will provide further updates regarding a permanent manager in due course.”

Craig Bellamy (left) worked alongside Vincent Kompany at Burnley for two years
Craig Bellamy (left) worked alongside Vincent Kompany at Burnley for two years (Peter Byrne/PA)

Former Wales striker Bellamy, 44, was previously player-development manager at hometown club Cardiff, overseeing the club’s youth academy and age-group teams before joining Kompany at Belgian club Anderlecht in 2019.

Kompany, who led Burnley to the 2022-23 Sky Bet Championship title, was named Bayern boss on Wednesday following Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League.