James Beattie

Blackburn Rovers

He made his first-team debut for Blackburn Rovers in October 1996, in a 2–0 home defeat against Arsenal. He had made only seven first-team appearances, and had yet to score a goal, when, in the 1998 close season, he was transferred to Southampton.

Southampton

He joined Southampton in July 1998 valued at £1 million, as a make-weight part of the deal that took Kevin Davies to Ewood Park for a £7 million fee. Beattie's initial impact was positive, earning him the club's Player of the Season award as he helped the Saints stave off relegation. His second season was hampered by a series of injuries, but in November 2000 he began a long goalscoring run. After 18 months without a goal, he scored 10 in 10 matches, lifting Southampton into a comfortable position, and securing their place in the Premier League for the next season. His form then deserted him once again, and he scored only two goals during the remainder of the season. Beattie was awarded a new four-year contract in March 2001. However, he failed to score in the remainder of the 2000–01 season, or in the first five Premier League matches of the next – a run that eventually totalled 17 matches. He returned to scoring form at the end of September 2001, and he ended 2001–02 with an impressive total of 14, despite a two-month spell on the sidelines, the result of an ankle injury which he sustained in a match against Manchester United in January 2002. In 2002–03, Beattie scored 23 league…

Beattie made five appearances and scored one goal for the England national under-21 team between 1998 and 1999. Beattie earned his first senior England cap in a friendly against Australia, on 12 February 2003, during his most successful season with Southampton. Australia won 3–1, and the result was described (by the Australian media) as "one of the biggest upsets in soccer history". Beattie played the whole of the first half of the match, and was replaced at half-time by Francis Jeffers, who scored England's consolation goal. Beattie's brief international career seemed to have come to a close when he was not selected for UEFA Euro 2004, the England team coach Sven-Göran Eriksson preferring Emile Heskey as the "traditional" centre-forward despite having scored five fewer goals than Beattie that season and fifteen fewer the season before.

On 13 May 2013, Beattie was appointed as Accrington Stanley's new manager replacing Leam Richardson, but after 16 months in the post, Beattie left by mutual consent. He managed for 58 matches with a win ratio of 27.6%. On 16 June 2015, Beattie was appointed as a first-team coach at Premier League club Swansea City, coaching the team's forwards. He joined former teammate Garry Monk's coaching staff. In December 2015, following Monk's dismissal as manager, Beattie left Swansea City alongside Pep Clotet and Kristian O'Leary. On 1 July 2016, Beattie rejoined Clotet and Monk at Championship club Leeds United as first-team coach. With Beattie a vital part of the backroom team, Monk's Leeds side finished 7th in The Championship in 2016–17. On 25 May 2017, Monk resigned as Leeds United head coach, leaving behind his backroom staff at the club. On 21 June 2017, Beattie followed Monk to newly relegated Championship club Middlesbrough as a first-team coach. On 23 December 2017, he was sacked along with Monk. Beattie was appointed first-team coach of Championship club Birmingham City when Monk took over as manager in March 2018. After Monk was sacked, Beattie remained on the staff for a further season, albeit on "gardening leave", and left in August 2020 after the arrival of Aitor Karanka as manager. Beattie joined Sheffield Wednesday as assistant manager to Monk on 12 August 2020. When Monk was sacked on 9 November 2020, Beattie left with him after just three months at the club. On 25…

Born in Lancaster, Lancashire, Beattie was a gifted pupil and attended the Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School. He was a very good swimmer, rated second in the country at the 100 metres freestyle at 14, but he dropped swimming in favour of football after damaging the cartilage tissue on his shoulder. He went on to represent his school, and play for Blackburn Schools, before joining Blackburn Rovers as a trainee on 7 March 1995.