The BBC reports Wales' coaches have made it clear that they want — even need — him to continue to play for his country.
"I'm really hopeful that he will continue to play for Wales," national team assistant coach Osian Roberts said. "He's been a great servant for Wales over the years and playing for Wales means a great deal to him.
"He's a key, key player on the field and he's a key personality off the field. He's one of the leaders and one of the mainstays of this squad. Certainly in going forward we're going to need Craig Bellamy within the squad."
Bellamy has played 67 games for Wales since 1998. He served as captain from 2006-11, but injury problems made him give serious thought to retiring from international play.
It was Speed's intervention (as national team manager) that convinced Bellamy to prolong his Wales career. The pair worked wonders together, and Wales shot up the FIFA rankings in 2011. But Speed commited suicide on Nov. 27, changing Bellamy's life — and the course of Welsh soccer — forever.
The Welsh wizard has sparkled for Liverpool this season, and the new Wales coaching staff, led by manager Chris Coleman, want Bellamy to lead the team through the qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
But the first order of business is this month's contest against Costa Rica. It is a memorial game being staged in Speed's honor, and Bellamy has committed to playing in it. Roberts will discuss the future with the LFC attacker at that time.
"Hopefully as things settle down and we get together for the Costa Rica match he'll see it's something he will want to continue to do," Roberts said. "It's vital that he stays part of the squad."
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