A young goalkeeper from Bedford is already looking forward to the new football season after earning a call-up to the Under-14 England Independent Schools Football squad.
Oscar Goodeve, 12, attends Kimbolton School and most recently played junior football for Real Bedford Elites before signing an academy contract at Peterborough United.
Oscar is now looking ahead to 2026/27, where he will make his international bow; not that Oscar is letting national recognition go to his head.
He says he is focused on his development and just enjoying the ride, after the youngster came through three days of trial matches at Haileybury School in Hertfordshire, competing against eight different regional teams.
“I’m really excited to be selected in the ISFA squad but need to keep working hard to be selected for the games”, said Oscar upon learning of his England call-up.
“Real Bedford Elites have been an amazing club to be part of as it attracts lots of scouts to their fixtures, but for now [I just want to] keep learning and developing in order to make football a career.
“I’m just going to enjoy it!”
“He stood out early on”
Oscar’s new schedule is a hefty one, as he will be training three times a week with Peterborough United, plus travelling to home and away games, and with England duties on top, he’ll be getting through a number of sets of gloves in the coming season.
His coaches at Real Bedford have been equally as complimentary about the young star.
“I’ve worked with Oscar for just over two seasons now, and his development in that time has been really impressive”, said Real Bedford’s Head of Elite football, Pete Sanders.
“From early on, he stood out not just for his natural goalkeeping ability, but for his mindset.
“One of his biggest strengths is his ability to not let failure hold him back; he takes on feedback, learns, develops and consistently improves. Those are qualities of a successful person, not just a footballer.
“I do believe Oscar has the attributes to make it in the professional game. There’s still a long way to go, as there always is at this stage, but he has a strong foundation and, importantly, the right attitude to keep progressing”, added Pete.
Oscar is the fifth player to be scouted by a professional club at the Real Bedford Elite programme, where Pete says it’s been a successful first season.
“This call-up is also a reflection of the environment we’re trying to build at Real Bedford Elite”, says Pete.
“It’s been a strong first season for us, with players not only performing well in league and cup competitions, but also attracting attention from professional academies.
“We’re proud of the standards the group has set and the pathways we’re helping to create for players like Oscar, and we’re really pleased to see him getting this recognition, which is fully deserved”.
The ISFA England timetable includes a training camp in the summer, followed by various fixtures throughout the season against academy teams, culminating in an international fixture against Wales towards the end of the 2026/27 campaign.
You can find out more about the Independent Schools Football Association here.
