ENGLAND Under-21 European Championship winner James Beadle has signed on loan for Birmingham City.
Goalkeeper Beadle has agreed a season-long loan from Brighton – in a move that has been tipped to happen for weeks.
The club say Beadle, 20, will provide competition for the No1 shirt at St Andrew’s.
He spent last season on loan at Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, making 38 appearances as the Owls finished 12th.
Beadle came through the academy ranks with Charlton Athletic before signing for Brighton in 2022, and has since had loan spells at Crewe Alexandra and Oxford United as well as Wednesday.
He played a key role as part of the England Under-21 squad that won the UEFA European Championship in Slovakia last Saturday.
He featured in all six games as Lee Carsley’s side secured back-to-back titles.
Beadle believes that was an achievement that will stand him in good stead.
He told the club’s official website: “It was a really good experience. It gives you a taste of what I want to come, because that’s where I want to be soon, in the next few years.
“So it was really good to have that taste and again it makes you hungry for more.”
Beadle says he has been impressed by Blues’ ambition.
He added: “Speaking to the manager and the people higher up, it just shows how big the club is getting, and the state the club is in at the moment, and the goals for next year, it really intrigued me.
“I’d obviously heard a lot about the club last year and what happened with the team and how well they did. So I heard all that and it was something I wanted to be involved in.
“I want to take that next step up and play at the top end of the table. Now I’ve had experiences in the Championship, I really feel like this year I can kick on.”
Beadle is no stranger to loans – but says the exposure to first team football has been invaluabluable.
He added: “I think each loan has different experiences and different things you can learn from.
“My first time at Crewe was my first in a men’s environment, and it was a lot different to the Under-21s environment I was used to at Brighton.
“Oxford was a step up in level, and a team that was fighting at the top end of the table to get promoted. And then Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, again, big expectation, a really big club as well.
“So each team and each loan, you learn certain things, and then it makes you who I am today.
“I feel like, when you want to play for the biggest teams, you have that pressure of expectation. That’s something that I thrive on and want to keep doing.
“As a young kid you want to play in front of sold-out crowds. And hearing St. Andrew’s is always sold out is something I want to play in front of.
“This will be my third season in the Championship, and I want to perform well again this year. I know a lot of the players, I’ve played against them before, so it will definitely help me.”
