Saturday 15 November 2014 18:43, UK
Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen believes Wales are at the same stage of their development as the Red Devils were a few years ago.
Wales are the surprise leaders of European Qualifying Group B after picking up seven points from their first three matches, but Vertonghen said he has not been shocked by the start made by Chris Coleman's side as he prepares to come up against them in Brussels on Sunday.
"Wales are in the position we were for a couple of years," said Vertonghen, who is set to captain World Cup finalists Belgium at the King Baudouin Stadium in the absence of the injured Vincent Kompany.
"They are more experienced than when we played them two years ago and you don't get to be top without being a very good team. They deserve to be there.
"People do not expect them to be there but I expect Wales to be a very strong team in the next couple of years."
Spurs defender Vertonghen played alongside Real Madrid star Gareth Bale in the Welshman's time at White Hart Lane and admits Belgium are coming up against a very special player.
"It's very difficult to mark Gareth and I don't think you can do it in a one-on-one situation, you mark him as a team," Vertonghen said.
"Space is the most important thing for Gareth so our communication is very important.
"He's an unbelievable player, one of the best in the world, but I'm not scared playing against good players.
"But Wales have other good players, Aaron Ramsey was outstanding the last time we played them and scored in the game."
Bosnia-Herzegovina are without injured strikers Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic against Israel in Haifa.
But stand-in skipper Asmir Begovic, the Stoke goalkeeper, insists Bosnia can still secure their first win in Euro qualifying without their leading forwards
"They started off the qualifiers really well but we can't look at them, we have to look at us and perform to our maximum," Begovic said.
"It will be difficult without Edin and Vedad but we can change the system and play a different way.
"We have the quality for a good result."
Bosnia are also missing Avdija Vrsajevic, Tino-Sven Susic and Sead Kolasinac and manager Safet Susic has come under increasing pressure since the World Cup in Brazil.
Israel have started the campaign well with back-to-back wins against Cyprus and Andorra and will top the group going into 2015 if they beat Bosnia and Wales fail to win in Belgium.
Eli Guttman's side appear to have plenty of goals in them with Club Brugge's Europa League hat-trick hero Liar Rafaelov added to a squad already featuring Omer Damari, the top scorer in European qualification, and Russian football's leading marksman Bibras Natkho.
Cyprus will look to maintain their 100 per cent records in meetings with Andorra when the sides meet for the fourth time in Nicosia.
Andorra lost the first two games 6-0 but were only beaten 1-0 in their last meeting, a friendly in Larnaca in August 2010.
