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Socceroos goalkeeper Beach lands Ligue 1 contract after excellent World Cup

Patrick Beach applauds Australia supporters at the recent World Cup.
Patrick Beach applauds Australia supporters at the recent World Cup. MAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Darren Yamashita

French publication L'Equipe reported at the weekend that French club Troyes have signed Beach on a mammoth five-year deal through to the end of 2030/31.

This will be the 22-year-old's first journey out of Australia after the New South Welshman spent five years in the A-League, making 21 NPL and 53 A-League appearances for Central Coast Mariners (2021-23) and Melbourne City (2023-26). 

Troyes earned a return to the French top-flight for the first time since 2022-23 by way of winning the French Ligue 2 championship with a four-point lead over fellow newly promoted club Le Mans

It's a natural move for Beach from Melbourne City to Troyes with both clubs falling under the City Football Group (CFG) umbrella and CFG well established in switching players between their ten professional clubs.

Former Melbourne City boss Patrick Kisnorbo moved from City to Troyes in 2022-23, going on to be sacked in 2023-24 with the French side in the Ligue 2 relegation zone before his brief return to Australia as Melbourne Victory boss for just seven games. 

Beach was a surprise starter in the Socceroos' opening World Cup game against Turkey and produced a Player of the Match performance, rating 9.1 out of 10 on Flashscore's new and improved player ratings algorithm with eight saves in their 2-0 clean sheet victory.

He conceded only three goals in 390 minutes of football before ultimately being substituted out for team captain and prior incumbent Maty Ryan in the penalty shootout of Australia's Round of 32 loss to Egypt. 

His average rating of 7.3 across the tournament was second only to centre back Alessandro Circati for all Aussies. 

The last three years at Melbourne City have shaped me so much, both as a player and as a person,” Beach said in a press release confirming his move.

“This club has given me the opportunity to challenge myself every day, improve my game and ultimately fulfil my dream of representing the Socceroos and Australia at the FIFA World Cup. I’ll always be incredibly grateful for that. 

My teammates, coaches and all the staff have played such an important role in my journey, and I’ll leave with friendships and memories that I’ll carry with me forever. 

“I want to thank everyone at Melbourne City, and especially our fans, for the support they’ve shown me from the moment I arrived.

"I’ll always look back on my time here with enormous pride.” 

The transfer fee paid by Troyes to Melbourne City was not disclosed, but Beach's market value is estimated by both Flashscore and Transfermarkt to be in the range of AU$1.6m (€1m) following his outstanding World Cup. 

Aaron Murphy has been with Flashscore since 2018 and, as the founding editor of the Australian newsdesk, has reported on-site at several major events in Melbourne including the Australian Open, State of Origin, A-League, NBL and international cricket. You can read his pieces here and contact him on X or LinkedIn

Aaron Murphy
Aaron MurphyFlashscore