Craig Bellamy hailed Dylan Lawlor’s starring role on his Wales debut just six months after the teenage defender made his Cardiff breakthrough.
Lawlor was outstanding as Wales won 1-0 in Kazakhstan on Thursday to top their World Cup qualifying group, celebrating his meteoric rise with the player of the match award.
The 19-year-old centre-back filled the gap left by Joe Rodon’s late withdrawal from the squad, and was at ease on the international stage after making only eight senior starts.
Lawlor has established himself in Cardiff’s first team this term and signed a new deal at the League One club last week after being linked with Rangers, Stoke and Austrian outfit RB Salzburg in the summer.
“Beyond impressed,” Bellamy said of Lawlor. “What a player.
“He was so just so impressive, and we needed him to be because we were fully aware of the pull-outs.
“Joe Rodon was gone and there’s times you look and think, ‘how are we going to cope without Joe because he’s such an immense player for us?’
“This helps. We have the sort of player underneath him now, (who is) going to rival everyone.
“He’s a big plus to come out of this, we gained a big player from this.”
A first trip to Kazakhstan for the Wales men’s senior team had presented testing logistical challenges: a 7,000-mile round journey, crossing six time zones, and an artificial pitch at the Astana Arena.
It was just as tough on that unfamiliar surface as Wales had to withstand fierce second-half pressure when Kazakhstan struck the crossbar twice and goalkeeper Karl Darlow was called upon several times.
But Kieffer Moore’s first-half winner from close range – his 15th Wales goal on his 50th appearance – secured a first away win for 12 months.
“Preparation for this was crazy. I’m not going tell you before it,” Bellamy told BBC Wales.
“Some players turn up on Sunday, transfer deadline day on Monday and a few of our boys were involved.
“Then we travelled Tuesday, trained Wednesday – one session. Four hours’ time difference, artificial pitch. It’s so new.
“Some players are playing, some players are not. It adds to the excitement, but I was a little bit more in the unknown than I would usually like to be.
“I can travel back, try to get back into the time zone and prepare for the next game.”
Wales are now two points clear at the top of Group J from North Macedonia, who have a game in hand.
Group favourites Belgium are three points behind Wales with two games in hand after thrashing Liechtenstein 6-0 on Thursday.
Wales host Canada in Swansea on Tuesday and play another friendly against England at Wembley next month, before resuming World Cup qualifying action at home to Belgium on October 13.
