Congratulations to Jay Stansfield and prospective Bluenose James Beadle as England are crowned under-21s champions of Europe
James Beadle holds with the UEFA European under-21 Championship trophy after victory with England.
James Beadle holds the UEFA European under-21 Championship trophy after victory with England.
(Image: Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
James Beadle is back in the country and expected to complete his move to Birmingham City after helping England win the under-21s European Championship.
The 20-year-old keeper is believed to have agreed a season-long loan at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park from Brighton and Hove Albion and he will compete with Ryan Allsop to be number one in a department that also includes Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Brad Mayo. Peacock-Farrell could move on this summer.
Beadle is still actually technically on loan with crisis club Sheffield Wednesday, where he has spent the last 18 months, until the end of this month. He has previously had loan deals at Crewe Alexandra and Oxford United too, meaning he is already only three shy of 100 senior appearances despite his age.
He has been first choice for England out in Slovakia as they defended their European title under the management of Lee Carsley, and he helped win the final 3-2 against Germany on Saturday evening. Prospective Blues teammate Jay Stansfield started up front. That was 22-year-old Stansfield's last game in age group football.
Beadle marked the occasion with three photographs on social media; two of the team celebrating and one of him with England's goalkeeping group, also featuring Stoke City's Tommy Simkin and Chelsea's Teddy Sharman-Lowe. He got congratulations and praise in the replies from his pals in football including Simkin and Sheffield Wednesday gloves rival Pierce Charles.
"Champions of Europe," he wrote.
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Peacock-Farrell started last season as Birmingham number one but lost his starting place after seven league games. Chris Davies kept faith with Allsop for the remainder of the campaign and even drafted him into the Vertu Trophy XI at Peacock-Farrell’s expense for the semi-final and final.
Boyhood Bluenose Allsop excelled between the sticks last season and kept 24 clean sheets in 45 matches across all competitions. He claimed a Golden Glove award for the first time in his career courtesy of his 21 clean sheets in League One.
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