Goalkeeper finds new club after spell at 'really big' Sheffield Wednesday ends

Beadle, who just helped England’s U21s to victory in the European Championships, spent two loan spells at Hillsborough over the last 18 months, playing 57 times and playing a huge role in their 2023/24 great escape.

His latest loan only expired on Monday, but it has already been confirmed that he’s got a new club for the campaign ahead, joining Birmingham City from Brighton & Hove Albion for the 2025/26 season. He’s spoken highly of Wednesday in his first interview since joining, too.

James Beadle has a new club already

“I’m really happy to be here,” he told his new club’s website. “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 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... “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 U21s 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.”

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