Jake Heasman, a student from the University of Sheffield, has been called up to the IBSA Partially Sighted Futsal European Championship. 

The 20-year-old journalism student has been selected to represent the country ahead of the tournament start. The squad will travel to Atalya, Turkey, next week, with the opening fixture being the 4th. 

Jake said: “Sort of a bit of a pinch-myself moment, like this sort of thing happening to me, and I’m not just watching through someone else’s eyes.

“I’m actually doing it and playing the games and, you know, singing the national anthem, a bit of a whirlwind.”

The young winger got involved with the sport from the age of 11, joining up with the Brighton development team. He then progressed to regional sides and the England development squad at the age of 17. 

The England squad as a whole will hope to have a strong tournament, being ranked second in the world, sitting solely behind the Ukrainian Futsal side. 

Speaking about the squad, Jake said: “We have made a few tactical tweaks since last time we played them (Ukraine). So hopefully we can give them a few surprises.”

Jake pressed heavily on the necessity for strong communication amongst the squad and quick, short passing play. 

The tournament will see four rounds of group stage fixtures before the relevant teams progress to a semifinal or placement match, resulting in a 3rd place match and final. 

Other contenders within the tournament will include tournament host Turkey, as well as classic rivals such as Spain, Germany, Portugal, and Italy. 

The England squad consists of a huge diversity in both background and age. With Jake being the youngest outfield player in the squad. 

Jake spoke about the ‘isolating’ nature of the 11-a-side game for those who are partially sighted. While also expressing his gratitude for those in the sport pushing a better environment. 

The tournament comes amidst a large push from the FA in order to expand accessibility for young players.

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