Burnley are interested in hiring Wales boss Craig Bellamy as their new head coach, after Scott Parker left the club by mutual agreement – just eight days after being relegated from the Premier League.
Burnley returned to the Championship for the second time in three seasons when it was confirmed that they were relegated, following the 1-0 loss to Manchester City on April 22.
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The team has won four of their 34 league games this season and have taken just one point from their last eight games. Burnley see Bellamy as a serious candidate for the position, but they face a tough battle to convince him to return to Turf Moor.
Bellamy has history at the club
Bellamy trained at Burnley under former boss Vincent Kompany and was among the candidates for the top job before Parker was hired in 2024.
But Bellamy is enjoying his role in Wales and is said to be delighted with the opportunity to lead the nation to a championship on home soil at the 2028 European Championships.
He is also said to have certain reservations related to the current composition of Burnley’s squad, and how much work needs to be done in the summer as more players are expected to leave the club.
Must trigger clause
There have been no formal bids for Bellamy, and Burnley may have to trigger a clause of at least £700,000 to get him out of his contract with the Welsh Football Association.
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Steven Gerrard has been heavily linked with the position, but there has been no formal contact. Sources also indicate that Burnley have also investigated Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy.
Burnley’s assistant manager Mike Jackson will take over the team for the final four games of the season, starting on Friday away to Leeds United.
Lousy formation – and weak cups
Burnley’s miserable league form has been compounded by poor cup results. The team was knocked out of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup by teams from League One. Mansfield beat them in the former, while Cardiff beat them in the latter.
Parker took over Burnley in July 2024 on a three-year contract, leading them back to the Premier League at the first attempt with a second-place finish in the Championship.
“It’s been a huge honour to lead this big club for the last two years,” Parker said.
“I have enjoyed every single moment of our journey together, but I feel that now is the right time for both parties to go their separate ways.
“I look back with great pride on what we achieved during my time at the club, especially the unforgettable promotion season in 2024-25. It was a true honour to lead this team into the Premier League.
Lost seven straight games
Burnley won three of their first nine league games this season, but when they lost the next seven, they plummeted straight into the relegation zone.
Despite five draws in the next seven games – including strong performances against Manchester United and Liverpool – the team was crushed 3-0 by Sunderland. Then came a loss for West Ham, who are also struggling at the bottom, and several fans started shouting at Parker’s head.
Expressing his frustration with these chants, chairman Alan Pace defended Parker in an interview with BBC Football Focus – comparing the protesting fans to children.
The successor to Kompany
Parker replaced outgoing Vincent Kompany before the 2024–25 season. Despite the sale of key players that summer – including Wilson Odobert, Sander Berge and Vitinho – Parker led Burnley to direct promotion. They lost the Championship title to Leeds United only on goal difference.
His team kept 30 clean sheets in 46 league games – the highest number in a single season in Championship history.
But this season, Burnley have conceded 68 goals in 34 league games – the most of any team.
Last season was Parker’s third time being promoted to the top division as manager. He did it with Fulham in 2020 and Bournemouth in 2022.
He has also coached Belgian club Club Brugge, but was sacked in 2023 after only two wins in twelve games.
Parker played for Charlton, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham before becoming manager. He also played 18 caps for England.
