Nations League: Turkey v Wales
Venue: Kadir Has Stadium, Kayseri Date: Saturday, 16 November Kick off: 17:00 GMT
Coverage: Live on S4C, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, live text and commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
Leeds United teenager Charlie Crew has been called into Craig Bellamy’s Wales squad for their Nations League games with Turkey and Iceland.
He replaces Ipswich Town’s Nathan Broadhead.
Crew, 18, won his first cap earlier this year in June’s 0-0 friendly draw with Gibraltar.
The call-up comes just weeks after the midfielder made his Championship debut for the Elland Road club.
Bellamy, who drafted Crew into camp as cover in his first games in charge in September, has said he believes the rookie is set to become “a real top player”.
Crew has linked up with Wales’ squad ahead of Friday night’s game in Turkey, a fixture they must not lose to have a chance of finishing top of their Nations League B group.
Wales then face Iceland in Cardiff on Tuesday to wrap up the campaign.
Crew is the latest addition to the ranks since Bellamy named his original squad with Coventry City defender Jay Dasilva, Fleetwood United goalkeeper David Harrington, Reading midfielder Charlie Savage and uncapped Fulham striker Luke Harris, currently on loan at Birmingham City, all also brought in as replacements.
They came after withdrawals including Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore, Ipswich winger Wes Burns and Blackburn’s on-loan Liverpool full-back Owen Beck.
No reason has been given for 13-cap Broadhead’s return to Ipswich, although he has struggled for minutes with his club this season after coming back from a hamstring injury suffered in pre-season.
The 26-year-old has yet to appear for Ipswich and was not on the bench for the weekend win at Tottenham despite featuring in recent squads.
Who is Charlie Crew?
Born in Cardiff, Crew was part of his hometown club’s academy, overlapping Bellamy’s time as coach in the Bluebirds youth set-up.
Already a Wales age-grade international, he joined Leeds as a 16-year-old in August 2022 and soon caught the eye at the club’s Thorp Arch training base.
Last March, he was called up by Wales Under-21s at the age of 16 and has made four appearances under Matty Jones, who claimed England had been trying to persuade dual-eligible Crew to switch allegiances.
After being named in Leeds’ matchday squads for the first time in March 2024, then manager Robert Page called it a “no-brainer” to include the versatile Crew in his squad for end-of-season friendlies, making his senior Wales bow in the 0-0 draw against Gibraltar with Page adding the youngster had “talent in abundance”.
He signed a new four-year deal with Leeds in July and, having been named in Daniel Farke’s squad on nine occasions this season, came off the bench for his first taste of Championship action in the closing stages of the 3-0 Elland Road win over Plymouth on 2 November.
Crew has long been talked-up among staff at the Football Association of Wales (FAW) while Bellamy recently remarked that he was the latest in Leeds’ historic line of talented Wales players.
Wales squad
Goalkeepers: Danny Ward, Karl Darlow, Tom King, David Harrington.
Defenders: Rhys Norrington-Davies, Ben Davies, Ben Cabango, Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, Connor Roberts, Neco Williams, Jay Dasilva.
Midfielders: Jordan James, Rubin Colwill, Josh Sheehan, Joe Allen, Harry Wilson, David Brooks, Daniel James, Sorba Thomas, Charlie Savage, Charlie Crew.
Forwards: Brennan Johnson, Mark Harris, Lewis Koumas, Liam Cullen, Luke Harris.
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