Craig Bellamy because the first national team boss to avoid defeat in his first four games as Harry Wilson’s first-half penalty sealed the points in Cardiff.
Sheehan started his first game under the new manager in a similar deep midfield role to the one he currently occupies at Bolton and enjoyed an excellent night on the ball – completing 91 per cent of his 88 passes, also winning more challenges and making more blocks than any other Welsh player.
Wales had to make seven changes from the team which dropped a 2-0 lead in Iceland on Friday but Bellamy was delighted to see players like Sheehan seize their opportunity with World Cup qualifiers just around the corner.
“We need a big squad,” he told the BBC. “The Nations League is brilliant, really competitive and it allows you to utilise the squad.
“There were loads of positives from that. There were some players who did really well. Surely a squad really gives you a better chance of being able to qualify for a major tournament.
“The games are so quick, you play Friday, you play Monday. It really suits the bigger nations with the bigger squads so we have to utilise our squad the best we can to give us the best chance to qualify for a major tournament.”
Wales have two games remaining, away at Turkey and at home to Iceland in November and will most likely have to win both to seal top spot in the group.
Seeding for December’s 2026 World Cup draw will give more weight to where teams have finished in the Nations League, although it will not be fully completed until March.
“We just have to keep improving,” Bellamy said. “Whatever the outcome today, the performance, it is just about keeping improving.
“I like building a library of being able to change, so today we moved into three different shapes, so that’s great, that the players can seamlessly do that at the minute.
“The next games against good opposition will test us again. It gives you the platform to improve.”
