Premier League - Stoke snap up Beattie

Eurosport - Tue, 13 Jan 11:33:00 2009

Stoke City have signed former England striker James Beattie from Sheffield United for a fee that could rise to £3.5 million.

FOOTBALL - James Beattie, Sheffield United - 0

The 30-year-old former Blackburn Rovers, Southampton and Everton player, who has scored 12 goals this season for Championship side United, agreed a two and a half year deal with Premier League strugglers Stoke.

"James is a player who has an absolutely phenomenal goal-scoring record and I am delighted to have him here," manager Tony Pulis told the club's official website. "He has averaged more than a goal every other game for Sheffield and he has a proven record of scoring in the top flight. He is someone I have admired for a very, very long time.

"We have signed two fantastic players in Matthew Etherington and James Beattie - but we are still looking for two or three more before the closure of the window."

Chief executive Tony Scholes added: "We are absolutely delighted to have fought off competition from other top-flight clubs to secure James' signature.

"He is a proven goalscorer with international and Premier League experience - and by signing a player like him, it shows how far this club has progressed."

Beattie, who made his England debut in a friendly against Australia in 2003, won five caps but fell out of international favour during a disappointing spell at Everton.

The Lancaster-born forward began his career at Blackburn Rovers, where he graduated up from the youth ranks.

However, after failing to score in any of his eight appearances during his three years on Rovers' books, he moved to Southampton in July 1998 for a £1 million fee.

He made his name at the Saints, and he ended the 2002-03 season with 23 league goals and an FA Cup final appearance.

After his 2005 move to Everton proved unsuccessful, Beattie moved to Sheffield United two years later and rediscovered his scoring touch.

Beattie leaves the Blades having scored 34 goals in 65 appearances, 12 of those coming this season.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport / Reuters

Comment 3 - 22 of 22

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  1. up the potters you are a mug

    From G, on Thu 15 Jan 2:54PM

  2. personally i got nowt against beattie but if i waas­ getting a striker from a championship side i would of­ looked at kevin doyle from reading . sorry tony ­ wrong choice for me . but heres hoping you prove me­ wrong with this signing .

    From up the potters :), on Thu 15 Jan 6:53AM

  3. How many of his goals tally are penalties! Vastly­ overated.

    From brian.jones93, on Wed 14 Jan 11:18PM

  4. getting the best championship players for when you go­ down, good game plan.
    by the way i think stoke are­ @#$%.

    From G, on Wed 14 Jan 12:07PM

  5. Good ridance to the lazy git!!! Yeah he scored a 22­ goals last season and 12 this season, but he isn't­ a team player he's too busy believing his own­ press. He definetely didn't deserve to be­ commanding a reported 34% of Uniteds total wage­ bill!Now maybe Billy Sharp and Darius Henderson can get­ their chance to shine! And all the idiots who rang­ Radio Sheffield on Friday night crying about Beattie­ leaving and saying they wouldn't renew their season­ tickets if he left sort yourselves out and stop­ behaving like a bunch of Pig fans!!! COME ON YOU­ BLADES!!!

    From THOMAS, on Tue 13 Jan 3:27PM

  6. good buy for the mighty potters, heres to staying up

    From malcolm c, on Tue 13 Jan 11:45AM

  7. A good signing for stoke but bad news for sheffield.­ it's hard to get out of the championship and­ selling your best players is not the answer.stoke have­ been guilty of that many times in the past and it took­ us 23 years to get back to the top flight.

    From David, on Tue 13 Jan 10:26AM

  8. sad

    From Jonathan, on Tue 13 Jan 10:00AM

  9. jmh_tru. a) learn to spell disgraceful b) you are­ surely confusing Sheffield United with West Ham

    From Paul G, on Tue 13 Jan 9:25AM

  10. That's not Beattie, it's Etherington!!! tut­ tut..

    From shanekerins, on Tue 13 Jan 9:04AM

  11. What other promotion ambitious club would sell him.­ Probably buy two old donkeys to replace him. I want my­ season ticket money back as I am not getting what I­ paid for.

    From hoodless390, on Tue 13 Jan 8:59AM

  12. No matter what the chairman says, shows how unamitious­ we are on the playing side. Probably buy two old­ donkeys to replace him. What other promotion ambitious­ side would have sold him?i

    From hoodless390, on Tue 13 Jan 8:57AM

  13. look at the pic of beattie at the top,whats that big­ lump on his forehead?

    From scotty, on Tue 13 Jan 8:24AM

  14. Yeah great

    From cherie.shaun, on Tue 13 Jan 8:08AM

  15. Stoke should sign Dindane instead of Beattie

    From Yu, on Tue 13 Jan 6:18AM

  16. Typical Sheffield United Unambitiouse As usual, Bromby­ in, Beattie out. Typical of the Morons running our club­ is all i can say.

    From SEAN, on Tue 13 Jan 4:27AM

  17. i think it is a good signing for stoke. The ha proven­ to be a surprising eunexpected new premier league­ outfit

    From Omar F, on Tue 13 Jan 3:30AM

  18. can't blame him, who would want to stay at a club­ with the most disgracefull rep in professional­ football???

    From jmh_tru, on Tue 13 Jan 12:47AM

  19. @#$% sake the blades arent gonna do well now

    From thomas_j_oxley, on Tue 13 Jan 12:26AM

  20. The pubs and nightclubs in Stoke will be pleased that­ he has moved there!

    From IAN R, on Tue 13 Jan 12:18AM
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