Following the first international camp of 2025, a year will have passed since Wales suffered penalty shoot-out heartache at Cardiff City Stadium.

After a goalless draw was followed by 30 arduous minutes of extra-time in the Welsh capital, Dan James saw his spot-kick saved by Wojciech Szczesny as Poland booked their place at Euro 2024 at the expense of Rob Page's outfit.

An embarrassing 0-0 draw with Gibraltar in Portugal was followed by a miserable 4-0 loss to Slovakia in Trnava in the summer as Page - the man who led Wales at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup - was eventually axed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW).

Page's qualities as a person could never be questioned, although his coaching credentials were rightly consistently the subject of intense scrutiny in the aftermath of what was an abject showing from those in red in Qatar.

Craig Bellamy was tasked with steering Wales back on the right track in their quest to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

And it's fair to say the outlook has swiftly shifted under the man who netted 19 times in 78 caps for his country.

It was a stunning debut campaign for Bellamy as he led Wales to promotion into Nations League A, having won three and drawn three of his opening six matches as boss.

But what of the (yes, we're going to say it) transition?

Bellamy used a total of 25 different players across the six fixtures, with Sorba Thomas, Harry Wilson, Joe Rodon, Ben Davies and Neco Williams being the only five to feature in every game.

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The experienced trio of Davies, Rodon and Williams played every single minute of the campaign while eight other players were involved in squads but did not feature (a tenner says you can't name them all...*).

Nottingham Forest full-back Williams was certainly a vital performer between September and November, with his tally of 38 ball recoveries, two assists and nine tackles being the most of any Welsh player in each category across the six fixtures combined.

But the squad changes highlight just how regularly Bellamy had to shuffle his pack over the course of his first three camps, with key players such as Aaron Ramsey, Dan James and Ethan Ampadu suffering injuries.

The same applies this time around as Ramsey and Ampadu again miss out while Fulham star Wilson - arguably the best performer under Bellamy so far - misses out for the first time through injury.

Indeed, the absence of Wilson - the man who became Wales' youngest ever player when he replaced Bellamy on the current head coach's final appearance for his country against Belgium in 2013 - is a bitter blow. 

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The 27-year-old scored four of Wales' nine goals in the Nations League and also registered an assist.

On the topic of adapting, Coventry City's 18-year-old midfielder Kai Andrews - who is currently on loan at Scottish Premiership side Motherwell - has now earned a first senior international call-up.

Andrews' name certainly wasn't on the radar of the Red Wall, but it once again demonstrates Bellamy's eagerness to build a squad, not just a team, capable of qualifying for major tournaments, and crucially, being competitive if and when they get to the big time.

The dreaded 'transition' word that had become a stick to persistently beat Page with has somewhat ironically continued under Bellamy, minus the unwanted noise.

It remains a squad in the midst of change, as evidenced by the former Wales striker's willingness to introduce fresh talent into the squad and give fringe players the chance to impress.

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Swansea City trio Ben Cabango, Ollie Cooper and Liam Cullen were all handed prominent roles - with the latter rewarding the faith shown in him with two key goals as Wales came from behind to thump Iceland 4-1 in their final game of the campaign. 

There was also Joe Allen's return from international retirement to bolster the midfield options.

Sorba Thomas was reintroduced into the fold to bring energy and pace to the attack while Lewis Koumas has continued to be dipped in and out as he gains vital first team experience.

Chances were even extended to the goalkeeping department, with both Danny Ward and Karl Darlow handed three starts apiece to prove their worth ahead of this year's World Cup qualifying campaign.

It has all led to even more intrigue, but more encouragingly, optimism, ahead of what is a pivotal year for Wales, Bellamy and the FAW.

After reaching three of four major tournaments between 2016 and 2022, Wales are now seeking to prove their golden generation has not simply come and gone.

Early experimentation, or an extended period of transition, if you like, combined with success under Bellamy so far has certainly helped to lay the foundations for Wales to deliver the goods in 2025 - starting with Kazakhstan and North Macedonia over the coming days.

* No £10 notes are actually on offer, but give yourself a pat on the back in the unlikely event that you did name them all! 

(Rabbi Matondo, Charlie Crew, Owen Beck, Rubin Colwill, Jay Dasilva, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Adam Davies & Tom King)