Burnley’s management hunt for their imminent Championship return began on Thursday, after Scott Parker left the club by mutual agreement.

Despite leading the club to promotion with 100 points and having the best defensive record in second-tier history last season, Parker was a polarizing figure at Turf Moor.

Last season’s massive defensive stats meant that their attack lacked a little momentum, and there wasn’t much hope of Burnley avoiding another immediate relegation to the second division this season.

Finally, the fact that their fellow promoted sides from last year appear to be destined for the top flight, whereas they are not, has soured things even more.

Despite his reputation as a Championship title specialist, Burnley and Scott Parker considered a departure as the best option toward the end of the season.

Wales manager Craig Bellamy was immediately identified as a “serious candidate” for the vacant Clarets position, having left Turf Moor, where he was one of Vincent Kompany’s assistants, to join the national team in June 2024.

Burnley face stumbling obstacle in Craig Bellamy pursuit.

It was always going to be difficult to entice Bellamy away from the Welsh position.

First, it was reported that the Clarets would have to pay £700,000+ to take him away from his current role, but even then, after falling agonisingly short of World Cup qualification, Bellamy would likely be eager to take Cymru to the home European Championships in 2028 and try to right those wrongs in a major competition.

Finally, the latter is proving to be true, as TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook reports, via X, that Bellamy hopes to head the Welsh national team during Euro 2028.

Wales did not qualify for Euro 2024, thus the 2028 edition in the UK and Ireland will be their first big event since the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, six years ago.

With 78 Welsh caps as a player, and given how disappointed he was after Wales was eliminated on penalties in the recent World Cup play-offs, it’s clear that the 46-year-old would consider it a privilege to lead his country into the European Championships, which will disadvantage Burnley in their current managerial search.

Burnley may need to explore elsewhere for Scott Parker’s replacement.

Fortunately, Burnley has plenty of time to hunt for a new manager before the start of next season. There are still four games remaining in the Premier League season, therefore there is no need to make an instant recruitment.

Along with Bellamy, Steven Gerrard and Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy, who has had a successful return to managing in the Welsh capital this season, were strongly associated with the position.

Gerrard, however, hasn’t been in a dugout since leaving Saudi side Al-Ettifaq in January 2025, and the last time he coached an English team was in October 2022.

With fellow English midfield star Frank Lampard dropping down to the second tier to help revitalize his managing career, Gerrard may be seeking to do the same next season, and Burnley may be the team to do it with.

In any case, it appears that the top Turf Moor target for the summer is currently out of the running.