The Liverpool midfielder’s performance for Wales against England at Euro 2016 impressed Craig Bellamy.
Former Newcastle United and West Ham United forward Craig Bellamy has praised Liverpool and Wales international midfielder Joe Allen in The Times.
The former Liverpool forward was impressed with Allen’s performance for Wales against England at the Euro 2016 finals on Thursday afternoon.
The 26-year-old started the Euro 2016 Group B game at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens and played for the entire 90 minutes.
The former Swansea City midfielder had a pass accuracy of 88%, attempted two dribbles, and made two interceptions, one clearance and one block.
The performance of Allen was not enough to prevent Wales from losing the match 2-1, but Bellamy claimed that he was the best player on the pitch.
“He knows his role so well,” Bellamy wrote about Allen in the Times. “For the defenders, it must be a dream to have him in front, constantly making little interceptions to stop the ball going into the feet of Kane or Vardy.
“He’s so neat and tidy on the ball, and always making those angles for passes which make it easy for team-mates to play off him.
“I thought he performed his task as well as anyone and if there is a frustration, it is that Wales could not get even more out of him by playing the ball better through midfield.”
Allen scored two goals and created 12 chances in 19 Premier League appearances for Liverpool last season.
The Wales international midfielder had a pass accuracy of 84% and a shot accuracy of 44%, and won three headers, seven dribbles and 19 tackles.
In two Euro 2016 matches in France so far, Allen has created two chances, has a pass accuracy of 88%, and has won one header and three dribbles.
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