Craig Bellamy has urged Tottenham fans to show patience with Brennan Johnson and insists the Wales winger is worth far more than the £47.5million paid for him.
Johnson weighed in with 10 assists and five goals after joining Spurs from Nottingham Forest last season, during which he made 23 Premier League starts and 32 appearances in total in the competition.
But the 23-year-old has often drawn criticism from Tottenham fans on social media, with many believing Johnson has yet to prove value for money following his arrival in north London exactly 12 months ago.
Johnson’s new Wales manager Bellamy, however, is in no doubt that Tottenham have a “really elite” player on their hands who will only get better.
“I see an incredible footballer in Brennan,” said Bellamy, who starts his Wales reign next week with Nations League fixtures against Turkey and Montenegro.
“He hits all the marks you’d want him to hit. I believe there’s so much more to come because what he can offer is elite. He’s really elite.
“If I was the manager at Spurs for instance, would I have signed him? Yes. Would I have paid 50 odd million? And more.
“So that gives you a certain level of what I see with this player. And I’m looking forward to that as well.”
Johnson – who has started Tottenham’s first two league games ahead of their trip to Newcastle on Sunday – was considered the natural attacking heir to Gareth Bale after making his Wales debut in November 2020.
But despite official data recognising Johnson as among the quickest players in the Premier League and evident scoring ability during his Forest days, Johnson has yet to shine for Wales on a consistent basis.
He did not start a game at the 2022 World Cup, coming on in all three matches as a substitute, and has scored only three times in 28 appearances.
Bellamy said: “Now maybe he needs to be a little bit more selfish and ruthless to back the ability he has.
“I’d like to be able to see that with Wales as well. I’m sure it’s going to come very soon.
“That’s exciting for me as well. Just to get a feel for him.”
Bellamy made several high-profile moves during his own top-level career that saw him play Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle among others.
Asked about Johnson’s big-money transfer to Tottenham, Bellamy said: “It takes time. It does. The expectation goes up and the competition goes up as well.
“Even though I carried myself as very confident – and at times I definitely was – there was always doubt deep down. It’s normal.
“Some players get to it straight away. They are like a duck to water and off they go.
“Some take a little longer. But I believe if you have the genuine quality then it will come. It always comes out in the end.”