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Birmingham City fans will now be aware why they are looking to sign James Beadle after his recent performance for the England U21s.
The England youth sides often house many young EFL talents, where they get the opportunity to be pitted against the top youngsters in the world.
Especially in the England U21 side, several familiar names are being utilised in Lee Carsley’s side. Players who have previously been in the EFL, like Tyler Morton and James McAtee, were part of the side that saw off Spain U21 in the European Championship quarter-finals.
Birmingham City fans would have been eager to watch Jay Stansfield as he shone up front for Carsley’s side, but on top of their prolific forward, they would have also kept a keen eye on England shot-stopper James Beadle. Birmingham City have agreed a deal with Brighton to sign Beadle, and it is safe to say that Blues fans will be ecstatic with what they saw.
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Birmingham City-linked James Beadle shines for England U21
Beadle has made his mark in the EFL in recent years, notably spending the last season and a half at Sheffield Wednesday, where he tied himself in as Danny Rohl’s prominent goalkeeper.
With a proven shot-stopping ability at Championship level, but still potential to reach before he becomes Premier League quality, it is inevitable that another season in the Championship is awaiting him, whether that is in a permanent or loan deal from Brighton.
Birmingham are interested in Beadle, and based on his showing against Spain U21, it is clear why.
Media outlets were quick to praise Beadle for his showing in-between the sticks, with GOAL suggesting that: “the Brighton goalkeeper made some crucial stops, especially in the second half as Spain threatened to draw level.”
Positive words also arrived from The Daily Mail, who suggested that Beadle “came up huge for England with two reactionary saves.”
James Beadle has a massive future ahead of him
Next season, the only guarantee for Beadle is that he will not be joining Sheffield Wednesday for a third time, with Brighton wishing to try him in a new environment. The Seagulls goalkeeper would also not be put in an environment like Sheffield Wednesday, which has such uncertainty around it regarding financial issues.
This only heightens Birmingham’s chances of signing the goalkeeper, who would arguably be a major improvement on Ryan Allsop.
For the past year, Beadle has cemented his place in the England U21 set-up, a sign that he has a massive future ahead of him. From Brighton and Beadle’s perspective, Birmingham is certainly the best club and platform for him to realise this potential.