Having previously snubbed the opportunity to represent his country, there was understandable anxiety from some members of the Red Wall when Karl Darlow was picked by Craig Bellamy in the manager’s first Wales squad last year.

After all, the Leeds United goalkeeper had turned down his country’s call under both Chris Coleman and Ryan Giggs.

Those fans needn’t have worried.

With first choice Danny Ward still not featuring at club level and centurion Wayne Hennessey out with a long-term injury, a solution was needed after Bellamy was named as Rob Page's successor.

And while somewhat controversial, Bellamy's decisiveness on Darlow was as telling as it was crucial.

The 34-year-old made his international debut in a 2-1 Nations League win in Montenegro in September, pulling off a vital save from the home side's captain, Stevan Jovetic, in wretched conditions in Niksic.

He made a further two appearances in the competition - keeping clean sheets against both Montenegro in Cardiff and Turkey in Kayseri, denying Yunus Akgun with a brilliant stop in the latter.

Having initially rotated between Darlow and Leicester's Ward, Bellamy opted for Darlow in both of his side's opening World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia in March as Wales claimed four points to extend the manager's unbeaten start to eight games.

Crucially, for both Wales and Darlow himself, Leeds manager Daniel Farke took note of the former Newcastle and Nottingham Forest shot-stopper's exploits on the international stage.

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Following a string of high-profile errors by regular first choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier, the German boss took the Frechman out of the firing line and turned to Darlow at what was a critical stage of his side's promotion run-in.

"I have a reliable and proper option in Darlow. An experienced goalkeeper, proven at this level, top class character," Farke said in early April.

"I know he hasn't played many league games in the last few years, but he performs really well every day in training, is loyal and in a good moment right now because he's played two solid performances for Wales. 

"He's in a good rhythm, so we got the feeling in this moment, heading into a nervy crunch time period, feeling the pressure, it's the right time to take this decision."

It was a decision that reaped huge rewards as, following a 1-1 draw at Luton in what was Darlow's first league appearance of the season on April 5, Leeds ended the campaign with six successive wins with the goalkeeper in their side.

It saw the Whites reach 100 points to pip Burnley to the Championship title on goal difference, while ensuring Leeds returned to the Premier League at the second time of asking following their Wembley play-off final heartache against Southampton last year.

The likes of Dan James, Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu would certainly have benefitted from seeing Darlow in between the sticks during the crunch period of the season at Elland Road, particularly the latter two who operate in deeper roles.

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Darlow still has a year left to run on his deal with Leeds, and it means the five-cap international could well go into the 2025-26 season as the club's number one goalkeeper in the top-flight, something that seemed a world away just a few months ago.

The likelihood now is that Darlow will start each of Wales' next two qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium in June, particularly given the fact that Ward has not featured for club or country since conceding a combined seven goals in his only two league appearances of the season for Leicester, against Newcastle and Wolves before Christmas.

Even those in the Darlow household would have struggled to conjure up the kind of dream that's unfolded for the goalkeeper of late.

It has meant Bellamy's willingness and eagerness to bring Darlow into the fold despite events of the past deserves to be recognised as something of a masterstroke.

Bellamy is not just reviving Wales’ prospects, but individual careers, too.