What Craig Bellamy said about Aaron Ramsey’s coaching future as Vincent Tan takes huge Cardiff City action | OneFootball

Ramsey has been appointed Bluebirds interim manager until the end of the season - months after Bellamy tipped him for a top coaching role.

Craig Bellamy’s prediction about Aaron Ramsey's coaching future has taken on new weight following a major roll of the dice from Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan.

Just months after Bellamy described Ramsey as a future manager “at a high level,” the Welsh midfielder has been named interim boss of his boyhood Bluebirds until the end of the season, following the sacking of Omer Riza.

With owner Vincent Tan making a decisive call to hand the reins to the 34-year-old, attention now turns to how Ramsey will juggle coaching with recovery from injury - and whether this short-term appointment could signal the start of a longer-term journey into management.

Craig Bellamy on Aaron Ramsey's coaching potential as 34-year-old named Cardiff City interim manager

Wales boss Craig Bellamy spoke highly of Aaron Ramsey's potential in management back in October, well before the Cardiff role became a reality.

At the time, Ramsey had been sidelined with a hamstring injury and was still fully focused on playing. But Bellamy, who has worked closely with him in the Wales setup, saw something more.

"I definitely see that part of him [management]...I believe it's starting to circle, because it does later on in your career," Bellamy told BBC Sport.

"I'm quietly confident he will, I'm quietly confident he will see that part of the game for him. With his experiences and his knowledge, his understanding of the game, I'd be surprised if it wasn't at a high level."

Bellamy revealed he regularly involved Ramsey in off-pitch tactical discussions at Dragon Park, crediting the midfielder’s intelligence and footballing intuition.

“I speak to Aaron quite a lot, I try and involve him a lot in tactically what we look to do," Bellamy said.

"He comes down to Dragon Park as well to see me quite a bit, so we go through certain stuff. I definitely have a very good relationship with Aaron.

"By knowing his father from the same area, I knew Aaron since he was five; I knew this kid was going to be a professional footballer at the age of five, which is very rare by the way. So it allows us to have that good communication.”

However, he was cautious about the idea of Ramsey taking on a player-coach role so early, referencing Vincent Kompany’s challenging dual role at Anderlecht:

"I saw Vinny do that at Anderlecht and it was really difficult,” Bellamy continued.

"That was the first time I've seen it close up, I've not been exposed to that playing-wise. I would probably not recommend it, just my experience with Vinny doing it at Anderlecht.

"I felt that he felt it was going to be one or the other - he was going to carry on playing or he was going to be a manager, and then he chose the manager route, so yeah, I believe that's a difficult one.”

Despite that initial reluctance, the groundwork for Ramsey’s transition was already being laid, with Bellamy describing a close working relationship and tactical trust that could only strengthen Ramsey’s coaching credentials.

Aaron Ramsey's Cardiff City appointment: three games remain for Wales legend to steady Bluebirds’ ship

Ramsey’s surprise appointment as interim manager marks a bold step by Cardiff owner, Tan, who has now turned to one of the club’s most iconic players to steady the ship after a turbulent spell.

Ramsey, who returned to Cardiff as a player last summer, has been sidelined through injury for much of the current campaign - but remains a highly respected figure in the dressing room and among supporters.

Whilst Ramsey holds a UEFA A licence - just one level below the Pro Licence required to manage at the top level - this is his first formal coaching role, with the Bluebirds looking to rebuild after sacking Erol Bulut and Omer Riza. Ramsey’s appointment feels like both a short-term stabiliser and a long-term audition.

The club’s immediate fortunes may depend on how well he adapts to the demands of management in such a short timeframe, but with Bellamy’s backing, tactical experience at international level, and a deep connection to the club, Ramsey’s coaching career may have just begun in the place it all started.