Giggs loss not the end - Bellamy

Bellamy takes over the Wales captain's armband from Giggs

New Wales captain Craig Bellamy said predecessor Ryan Giggs would be missed, but believes things are looking up after a draw with the Czech Republic.

Giggs retired from international football on Saturday after the goalless Euro 2008 qualifier in Cardiff.

"There's definitely hope for the future, definitely after the performance we put in," Bellamy said.

"But don't forget our best player out there was probably Ryan, so taking him out of that isn't going to help us."

Giggs was in vintage form against the Czechs, as Wales never looked outclassed by a team 65 places above them in the official Fifa rankings.

The draw realistically ended Wales' faint hopes of making the Euro 2008 finals, leaving them on seven points from six games.

But Bellamy believes that the Wales squad, which now has an average age of just 23 following Giggs' departure, will improve.

Hopefully in the near future there might be another Ryan Giggs out there Wales captain Craig Bellamy

"We've got one or two players who can come in and one or two players who are of a certain (young) age and can kick on from there," Bellamy added.

Wayne Hennessey, the 20-year-old Wolves goalkeeper, impressed in his first competitive game for Wales, having won his first cap just a week ago in the friendly with New Zealand.

Cardiff youngster Joe Ledley, another 20-year-old, had his best game in a Wales shirt, bustling up and down Wales' left flank.

Lewin Nyatanga in defence will not turn 19 until August while new Tottenham recruit Gareth Bale, who missed the Czech match with injury, is 17.

Giggs came off two minutes from the end to a standing ovation from the Millennium Stadium crowd, symbolically handing over the captain's armband to Bellamy.

The Liverpool striker was still concentrating on finding a late winner for his side and admits Giggs' emotional bow barely registered.

"Because you only concentrate on the game you tend to miss the moment, but it will sink in over the next couple of weeks and the next time we play that he's left us," Bellamy said.

"What a great player he's been for us but we have to get on with it and hopefully in the near future there might be another Ryan Giggs out there for us, you never know."