Lewis Koumas has impressed Andoni Iraola and Craig Bellamy, his international head coach, and could make his third Wales start of the international break against Denmark
Lewis Koumas has broken into Liverpool's first-team squad
Lewis Koumas has broken into Liverpool's first-team squad(Image: Getty Images)
It's not only Andoni Iraola who has been impressed by Lewis Koumas in recent months – a familiar face from Liverpool's history shares that view.
Back in June, Wales manager Craig Bellamy made his position clear regarding Koumas, who at that point had earned the majority of his international appearances as a substitute in wide areas, reflecting his role during loan spells at Stoke, Birmingham City, and Hull.
However, after nodding home a dramatic late equalizer from a Neco Williams delivery in a Cardiff friendly against Ghana – a fixture arranged to help the visitors prepare for their World Cup encounter with England – Bellamy recognized that Liverpool star Koumas had firmly established his credentials for a different position in the team.
"[He is a] nine because we don't really have any nines coming through and we do have a lot of wingers, brilliant wingers," the Wales manager and former Liverpool striker explained at the time. Ring any bells? Koumas finds himself surrounded by numerous wingers at Liverpool as well, such as Bradley Barcola, Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha, and Victor Munoz.
Consequently, with Hugo Ekitike sidelined through injury, Federico Chiesa out of favor, and Alexander Isak representing Iraola's sole available senior striker, Koumas, who celebrated his 21st birthday last month, has seized his opportunity in his preferred position at club level and on the international stage.
Indeed, despite catching the eye during the summer, you'd have secured favorable odds on the Welshman featuring five times for the Reds this season by the first international break, including making his Premier League and Champions League bows.
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Koumas has also impressed for Wales
Koumas has also impressed for Wales(Image: Getty Images)
However, Koumas has emerged as Iraola's Energizer Bunny, with the Reds manager describing his tireless enthusiasm as "contagious" following an impressive display before the Anfield faithful in the Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham last month, before entering as a substitute to help secure the 1-0 triumph at Bournemouth.
He's also started two of Wales' three fixtures during the current international window, leading the attack with distinction in Thursday's notable 2-1 triumph over Norway in Cardiff, having come agonizingly close to snatching a late leveler in last week's 1-0 reverse in Portugal, where only an outstanding goal-line block from Ruben Dias thwarted him.
Adding more goals represents the next phase in Koumas' development into a more complete center-forward. His tally stands at 11 in 103 senior club appearances and one in 15 international caps for Wales.
Yet the majority of those outings will have been spent operating out wide, and evidently, Iraola has identified sufficient quality in him as a striker to leapfrog Chiesa in the hierarchy and eliminate the requirement to recruit an experienced forward during the summer.
"They kept him on at Anfield. You don't get the choice to stay," said Bellamy following the Portugal encounter. "If they want to keep you, they keep you. It's a difference."
With fitness doubts hovering over Isak and Gakpo ahead of next Sunday's encounter with Manchester City, Koumas could well find himself contemplating further unexpected involvement with the Reds in what promises to be the campaign's most significant fixture so far.
However, attention first turns to Wales' Sunday meeting with Denmark to conclude a grueling international break, when another starting berth in attack would mark a considerable milestone in Koumas' career, indicating that he has edged past long-standing first-choice striker Kieffer Moore and Everton's Brennan Johnson to emerge as Bellamy's preferred option.
The manner in which Koumas linked up with wingers Sorba Thomas and Dan James against Norway, when he played a part in the former setting up the latter for Wales' equalizer, indicates he merits another starting opportunity before the home faithful.
As the home side recovered from falling behind against Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard et al, the Welsh supporters reacted to Koumas' tireless work rate in much the same fashion as the Liverpool faithful did against Tottenham. Koumas has won over supporters and coaching staff in recent months, with his career flourishing at both club and international level.