Beach joined Chelsea from Southampton in the summer of 2022 and split his first season between our Under-21s and a spell on loan with National League South side Chelmsford City.

After returning to the Blues' Academy for the first half of 2023/24 – and being included on the bench for the senior side's Premier League fixtures against Luton and Brentford – he embarked on a second loan in January, this time in the National League at Gateshead

It was an important opportunity that put the then-19-year-old outside of his comfort zone and helped him to grow as a player and a person.

‘Going to Gateshead was an enormous change,’ Beach explained. ‘The main factor being that the club is based on the other side of the country.

‘Moving to Sunderland alone, somewhere I had never been before, and living in a house full of strangers was a daunting experience to begin with. I went from spending all my time in a close-knit environment at Chelsea to another club miles away. It was a big cultural shock.

‘However, it was an easy decision to pick that club as the style of football they play suits my strengths and abilities. Additionally, I knew it would help my career massively as it would give me more minutes and put me in a physically demanding setting.

'Being put in that environment made me grow as a person and mature my mindset, which are all key features of being a successful footballer.'

There was a promising beginning to Beach's time in Gateshead. He started his first four games and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Southend in the last of those. Unfortunately, he then fell ill with glandular fever, which forced him out of action.

As he struggled to rebuild match fitness, Beach was only able to make one further appearance for Gateshead in April. He then returned to Chelsea to work on his recovery at Cobham.

He continued: ‘Just when I thought I was settling into the environment, my health took a turn, and I was out for eight weeks. Falling ill unfortunately disrupted my season, as I had to make a sudden move back to Chelsea to rest and take care of myself.

‘It was a difficult time for me as I was doing everything I could to get back onto the pitch, but physically and mentally I wasn’t ready.’

Beach is full of gratitude to the staff at our training ground who helped him through that period – and allowed him to return for our Under-21s' Premier League 2 play-off semi-final away at Tottenham.

‘I must give my praise to the Chelsea staff who supported me through that time - physically and mentally - as it was a disappointing feeling to go from doing something you love every day to not being able to do so.

‘The facilities at Chelsea are beyond great and it is easy to take everything for granted. From the catering staff and groundsmen to the coaching staff who supported me, it is something I will always be appreciative of.

‘I finished my season playing against Tottenham in the semi-final of the Premier League 2 play-offs. It was great to get back to playing with the team and to be called up in a fixture like that. It was a great feeling.'

Reflecting on his challenging second half of the season, Beach believes that despite the setback he has learned some valuable lessons about football and life, even if they were not always the ones he was expecting when he made the move north to Gateshead at the start of January.

‘I enjoyed the experience as it gave me more than just football development, it gave me a lot of life skills. I had to learn how to live by myself, interact with new people and adjust to a completely unfamiliar environment.

‘It was not the journey I expected or the way I thought the loan was going to go, but that’s football and life. You never know what to expect and you must solve problems along the way.

‘The whole experience benefited me not only in football aspects but personally. It has put perspective on the world.'