Wes Burns says Craig Bellamy’s calls were vital during long ACL recovery
September 26, 2026 12:12
Burns, 31, who earned the last of his 10 Wales caps in October 2024, told team-mates he made a point of thanking Bellamy after the manager kept in regular contact during the long rehabilitation. "The world of football forgets you very, very fast when you're not playing," Burns said, adding that Bellamy calling him "every month, or once every two weeks" was "a massive, massive plus."
WHAT HAPPENED
Burns tore his ACL during Ipswich Town's defeat at Liverpool in January 2025 and was out for almost a year. He returned 11 months later, by which time Ipswich were back in the Championship. The injury kept him off Wales' radar during their ultimately unsuccessful bid to reach the 2026 World Cup via the play-offs.
Burns was back in the national squad for the first time in two years for the Nations League fixture that began with Thursday's 1-0 defeat in Portugal. He did not come off the bench in Lisbon but "hopes to get some minutes" in Wales' next Nations League match against Denmark in Copenhagen on Sunday, 27 October.
RECOVERY AND CAREER CHOICES
Reflecting on the injury, Burns described the early days after surgery as frightening and said it was "just about making sure I got the rehab right." He also noted Bellamy had suffered a similar injury when he was younger as a player, and that the phone calls "meant so much to me." Burns said that without Bellamy's backing his Wales career "might have gone the same way."
At club level, Burns helped Ipswich earn promotion back to the top flight in the 2025-26 campaign but chose to leave, dropping two divisions to sign for Leicester City. The former Fleetwood winger said he took the longer contract and the move to Leicester with a view to the longevity of his career. Leicester sit 13th in League One after two wins from their opening seven games under manager Russell Martin.