Cardiff and Wales defender Dylan Lawlor says club boss Brian Barry-Murphy and national team head coach Craig Bellamy have similar outlooks.
Lawlor has become a key member of Barry-Murphy’s Cardiff side which last season secured promotion to the Championship.
The 20-year-old was handed his first senior Wales cap by Bellamy in September 2025 and has made six appearances in the past year.
“They are so similar so it’s easy to switch between the two,” Lawlor said of playing for Barry-Murphy at Cardiff and under Bellamy for Wales.
“They’re so detailed and see football the same way and to be honest it’s the same way I see it.
“It suits me and it’s easy to switch between the two.”
Lawlor said both Barry-Murphy and Bellamy had the same approach to games as ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Former Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said Klopp focused on their own strengths while predecessor Arne Slot would “constantly adapt to the opponent’s tactics”.
“The most eye-opening thing for me is that it’s all about us,” Lawlor told the BBC’s Welsh language podcast, Y Coridor Ansicrwydd (Corridor of Uncertainty).
“I saw what Andy Robertson said about Slot and Klopp and the difference.
“It’s obvious to me at Cardiff and for Wales that it’s all about us and not to worry about the opposition.
“You go into games full of confidence – it’s all about us.”
Barry-Murphy was appointed Cardiff head coach in June 2025 following the club’s relegation from the Championship at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Lawlor made his league debut in the final game of that season, coming on as a second-half substitute against Norwich City.
He was given his opportunity by interim boss Aaron Ramsey, a fellow former pupil at Lawlor’s old school of Ysgol Cwm Rhymni in Caerphilly County.
“He was someone I could look up to,” Lawlor said.
“He was an inspiration to me when I was growing up and then I had the chance to work with him and then under him when he was starting his coaching career.
“He would pass on things to me, tips and things I could add to my game and when it comes from someone like that you have to take it.”