As well as Cremers, Bellamy’s other additions to the backroom staff were his former Wales team-mate and current Brighton first-team coach Andrew Crofts, former Newport boss James Rowberry, England goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson, and former Wales performance boss Ryland Morgans.
Despite turning 30 last month, Cremers has a decade of experience as a coach and analyst.
As well as working in his homeland with NEC Nijmegen, Excelsior Rotterdam and NAC Breda, the Dutchman spent a year at Brentford before longer stays at Manchester City and Burnley.
At City, Cremers graduated from under-23s performance analyst to head of first-team performance analysis and information. It was in that role that he worked alongside Guardiola, the legendary former Barcelona manager who won six Premier League titles, the Champions League and 11 other trophies during his eight years in Manchester.
“He was Pep’s analyst for four or five years, day to day, so he’s one of the most incredible minds,” Bellamy says.
“Being able to take advantage of that – and I’m not a little Pep, if you know what I mean, I have different ways and no one is him – but having an idea and seeing his point of view, it helps you by looking at something.
“Because we (Cremers and Bellamy) are so aligned in what we see, that also allows me to find comfort. Do you understand? Am I angry here? If I told you some of the ways and showed you some, you’d say “that’s crazy.” But he puts it into practice: “no, actually this is the right thing to do, this is how we do it.”
“That’s why I say what I say about formations. If I showed you a way of how we would confront another person, you would say “you can’t do that.” But I saw him do it and I thought, ‘wow, this works, this is serious.'”
Bellamy is in his element when talking about football and its tactical complexities.
Some of his answers can be transformed into four or five minute monologues about playing patterns or counterpressing; the former Wales captain only takes a breath when he apologizes, while smiling, for going off on a tangent.
But his enthusiasm is contagious and it’s clear how much inspiration he gets from his fellow coaches.
“I probably wouldn’t do it, but I’d love to sit here and take credit, but it’s him (Cremers), [Andrew] Crofts, Rowbs (James Rowberry),” Bellamy says.
“These people that I have been able to bring are them. Sincere truth. I am only for you, I am the one who reaches the media.
“I don’t think it’s just a brilliant guy, but the people you have around you. When you work in a group, you find solutions much more easily. In this way, I think it is the best solution.”
