James Beadle potential no secret as Sheffield Wednesday man gets big England senior opportunity

The talent of Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper James Beadle is no secret, it seems, after the recently-turned 20-year-old was called up to train with the senior England side as they prepare for UEFA Nations League clashes with the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

Beadle was one of several Owls called up for international duty over the turn of the month, stepping up to the England under-21 squad having already made 19 appearances at every youth level from under-15 to under-20. A key man in the England youth ranks, the Brighton & Hove Albion man re-signed for Wednesday on loan for the season after keeping eight clean sheets in his 19 Championship outings in Owls colours in the second half of last season.

Lee Carsley is overseeing his first camp as England’s interim manager following the exit of Gareth Southgate in the summer. The former Sheffield United coach has ushered in a handful of younger players known from his days coaching in the England youth set-up. It would seem that Beadle, who is contention for under-21 caps against Northern Ireland and Austria either side of the weekend, is a player that he rates. Beadle will train in a goalkeeping unit including senior men Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope and Dean Henderson.

Wednesday boss Danny Röhl spoke earlier this summer about the high ceiling of Beadle’s potential and backed him to reach some of the highest reaches of the game.

"I think when we looked at the details from the second leg of the season, we had nine clean sheets and that's crucial when you want to win games especially in this league," Röhl said. "It was also a huge step forward in his path. He's a young goalkeeper but with a lot of different experience now and also a great attitude, he's very calm in difficult moments. I'm convinced that we will see him in the future high up in football.”