Sheffield student wins medal in partially sighted futsal Euros

A University of Sheffield student has won a European Championships bronze medal with the England Men’s Partially Sighted Futsal squad.

Jake Heasman, a second year journalism student, featured in all of the side’s IBSA EUROs matches – including the 5-1 win against host nation Turkey last Sunday that saw the team secure third place.

Speaking to The Sheffield Tab after returning from the tournament, he said that it had been an “amazing” experience.

“It was a massive pinch myself moment. You don’t get to say that you have represented your country in the European Championships everyday.

“To be able to put on the shirt and sing the national anthem, it’s just unbelievable.”

Jake first got involved with the sport at the age of ten. As a two-year-old he had been diagnosed with a brain tumour called optic nerve glioma, which resulted in visual impairment affecting his long distance, short distance, and peripheral vision.

He discovered futsal through sessions run by his nearby club Brighton and Hove Albion, and found the sport to be more accessible for his visual impairment.

“It’s way smaller than an 11-a-side football pitch,” he explained. “So I can almost see, or can see, the other end of the court, where the players are, and where the ball is.”

“I just fell in love with futsal off the back of the sessions, and then I was really lucky to progress.”

After moving through regional and national talent hubs, Jake was called up to the England development squad aged 17, and soon received an offer from the head coach to join the senior squad training.

“I couldn’t turn it down! And I’ve been really fortunate to be in the squad and playing ever since,” he said.

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His teammates, he noted, have now become “like a second family” – with training camps at St George’s Park helping to foster trust and friendships between them, and the older members of the team being able to offer guidance with regards to their shared experiences of living with a visual impairment.

“It’s like a got a load of older brothers that I’m able to draw upon,” he shared. “Hopefully in the future I’m able to reciprocate that help that they’ve given me to younger players as well.”

As the side missed out on winning the World Cup last year due to a last-minute winner from Ukraine, Jake added that the long-term aim is to help break this “England curse” by helping the team secure a future World Cup or European title.

He is also hoping to get more young people involved in futsal: “There’s a quite small pool of players that may be coming through the talent pathways that I really fortunately came through.

“I’ve had so many amazing opportunities from it, so I just try and encourage as many people to get involved as I can.”

Outside of the national team, Jake plays for the Lancashire-based North West Scorpions FC in the Partially Sighted Futsal league with the University of Sheffield Futsal Club.