Ellery Balcombe
Ellery Ronald Balcombe (born 15 October 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Bromley, on loan from club Brentford. He is a product of the Brentford academy and was capped by England at youth level. Club career. Brentford. Youth years (2014–2018). A goalkeeper, Balcombe began his career as a youth with Bedford Panthers and Stevenage, before joining the academy and the Elite U19 Education and Football Programme at Brentford. He was a part of the U15 team which won the Junior Globe at the 2014 Milk Cup. While still an U16, he  broke into the youth team during the second half of the 2015–16 season, making six appearances and he also made four Development Squad appearances. At the end of the 2015–16 season, Balcombe was promoted into the new Brentford B team and signed his first professional contract on 15 October 2016. Three weeks later, he won his maiden first team call up for a West London derby with Fulham, after second-choice goalkeeper Jack Bonham suffered whiplash in a car accident and remained an unused substitute during the 2–0 defeat. He played in the majority of the B team's matches  during the 2016–17 season and helped the team to win the 2017 Kai Thor Cup. Balcombe was the undisputed first choice goalkeeper for the B team during the 2017–18 season and made 30 appearances. He received his only first team call up of the season for an FA Cup third round match versus Notts County on 6 January 2018, during which he remained an unused substitute. First team (2018–present). In June 2018, Balcombe signed a new four-year contract and was promoted into the first team squad. He departed Griffin Park on a half-season loan in August 2018 , but returned early through injury in mid-October 2018. After regaining fitness, he won his first senior call up of the 2018–19 for an FA Cup third round match versus Oxford United on 5 January 2019. Injuries suffered by goalkeepers saw Balcombe receive a number of further call-ups into the first team squad during the final months of the season. During the 2019–20 pre-season, Balcombe fell behind B team goalkeeper Patrik Gunnarsson in the first team goalkeeping pecking order and instead travelled with the B team on its training camp in Cheshire. In September he departed on loan  until the end of the season, but in January 2020 the loan ended due to a season-ending back injury, which required surgery. Balcombe returned fit for the 2020–21 pre-season and owing to the departure of Gunnarsson on loan, he served as third-choice goalkeeper behind David Raya and Luke Daniels and was an unused substitute during two early regular season matches. Balcombe signed a new -year contract in January 2021 and spent the second half of the 2020–21 season away on loan. He was ineligible to appear during Brentford's playoff campaign, which culminated in promotion to the  Premier League after victory in the 2021 Championship playoff Final. In June 2021, Balcombe departed on loan for the duration of the 2021–22 season, but due to a lack of game time, the loan was terminated early in the winter transfer window. At the end of the window, he departed on loan for the rest of the season. Boreham Wood (loan). On 6 August 2018, Balcombe joined National League club Boreham Wood on a youth loan until 1 January 2018. He made eight appearances for the club before he returned to Brentford for treatment on an injury suffered while on  international duty in mid-October 2018. Viborg FF (loan). On 2 September 2019, Balcombe joined Danish 1st Division club Viborg FF on loan until the end of the 2019–20 season. He was sent off for the first time in his career on his eighth and what proved to be final appearance for the club, a 2–1 defeat to HB Køge on 2 November 2019. The loan was terminated during the winter break, due to injury. Doncaster Rovers (loan). On 6 January 2021, Balcombe joined League One club Doncaster Rovers on loan until the end of the 2020–21 season. He immediately  assumed a starting role and one of his saves during a 4–0 FA Cup fourth round defeat to West Ham United on 23 January was nominated for the competition's Save of the Round award. One week later, two penalty saves and a man of the match performance in a 1–0 win over Lincoln City saw Balcombe named in the League One Team of the Week. Balcombe's January 2021 performances in league matches saw him nominated for the PFA Fans' League One Player of the Month award. He finished his spell with 17 appearances. Burton Albion (loan). On 29  June 2021, Balcombe joined League One club Burton Albion on loan for the duration of the 2021–22 season. Unable to dislodge first-choice goalkeeper Ben Garratt, he made just three EFL Trophy appearances before the termination of the loan on 4 January 2022. Bromley (loan). On 31 January 2022, Balcombe joined National League club Bromley on loan until the end of the 2021–22 season. He was signed as a replacement for departed backup goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook. International career. Balcombe was capped by England at U18, U19 and U20 level. He was a part of the England squads at the  2018 UEFA European U19 Championship and the 2017 and 2019 editions of the Toulon Tournament. He was uncapped at U21 level, but was an unused substitute in a number of matches and was called into the 2018 Toulon Tournament group as a standby and training support. While on U21 duty in October 2019, Balcombe trained with the full England squad. Personal life. Balcombe is of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines descent. He attended Castle Lower School in Bedford and won the Outstanding Achiever Award at the 2017 Bedford Sports Awards. Honours. England U20 England U18