FAW begins search for Cremers and Gunter successors

Piet Cremers (left) and Chris Gunter in a composite pictureFAW

Piet Cremers (left) has been appointed head coach of Club NXT while Chris Gunter has joined Oxford United's coaching team

Dylan Griffiths
BBC Sport Wales

Football Association of Wales (FAW) chief executive Noel Mooney says the process of finding replacements for Piet Cremers and Chris Gunter is under way.

Cremers, 31, has left his role as the assistant to Wales men's boss Craig Bellamy to become head coach of Club NXT, Club Brugge's youth academy.

Gunter, 36, recently led Wales at the Uefa men's Under-19s Championship but has now linked up with former international team-mate Aaron Ramsey at Oxford United.

"We're always looking for the next steps," Mooney told BBC Sport Wales.

"It's a constant process and wanting to stay ahead of the game, so we're constantly looking at all the age groups.

"If somebody moves on like Chris has moved on to Oxford United for example, it's who will replace him and that's the whole system.

"You'd expect us to be doing that, so were always looking for bright young coaches to come in and fill the places."

'Conveyer belt of talented coaches'

Cremers worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as head of performance analysis and insights, and he was one of Bellamy's first appointments in August 2024 after he had taken the reins of the national team.

The Dutchman's departure from Wales comes on the back of Bellamy's proposed move to become Burnley boss falling through, after he was unable to take his backroom staff to Turf Moor.

Mooney has previously said Bellamy is "absolutely committed" to Wales and that the focus is now on this autumn's Nations League campaign.

But a former Wales team-mate of Bellamy's – former Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest defender Gunter - has left the FAW to become new Oxford head coach Ramsey's assistant.

Mooney said the process to find someone to take over from Gunter had already started.

"Straight away we've got a conveyor belt of talent of coaches," Mooney added.

"Wales is well known around the world for its world-class coach education system.

"We've got lots of hungry coaches who have got their Pro Licences and are looking to take our youth teams and that process starts now.

"Dave Adams, our chief football officer, will lead that process and come to the board when the recommendation of who the coach should be and the backroom team.

"We look forward to seeing that very soon."