Having emphatically declared his commitment to Wales following interest from Burnley in the summer, it's now back to the serious business for Craig Bellamy. The head coach will lead his troops against a star-studded Portugal side at Estadio Jose Alvalade in what will be his first match since the Clarets saga. So can the 48-year-old draw a line under the noise in the Lisbon sunshine?
That may be the aim from the perspective of the Red Wall, although for the boss himself, the focus remains firmly on delivering. "The Nations League is amazing. "We got promoted, so we've earned the right to be here because that's how it works.
"If we finish third, we have a very good chance of going as the top 12 seeds into the Euro qualifiers, so that's a huge carrot for us." Live on BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and 5 Live, BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary. Those in the Welsh camp have made no secret of their delight that Bellamy is still in the role. Speaking before the contest with Portugal, captain Ben Davies said: "Selfishly, I think as a squad we're very happy to keep him." Perhaps not all are fully satisfied that he is still with Wales, mind.
Connor Roberts worked under Bellamy at Burnley and admits he would have loved to have been reunited with the boss at Turf Moor, before adding he was pleased he is still his international coach. "Am I a little bit disappointed that he's not Burnley manager? I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't," Roberts told the BBC's Feast of Football podcast.
He added: "Now he is still the manager of Wales and he's going to continue to give us absolutely everything to produce and give us the best team that we possibly can and we'll see how the next few camps go." Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney also threw his support behind Bellamy as Wales embark on their second League A adventure in the Nations League. "Craig is an outstanding coach, we're so delighted with the work he's done," he told the BBC's The Phone In. "He's the best I've come across, he's absolutely obsessed with the game." Bellamy's already daunting task of toppling Portugal - along with Denmark and Norway - has been made even harder due to injury.
Harry Wilson, Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor and Nathan Broadhead are all unavailable for the current international window, meaning they will miss four games rather than the usual two. But it presents others with an opportunity to shine, with Bellamy saying Wales are "hoping to find another Harry Wilson after these four games". Bellamy also admits a quick glance at the past shows how far his country has progressed.
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