Eighteen-year-old goalkeeper Milo Beimers has left Irish Premiership side Glentoran and is now travelling roughly 2,000 miles across Europe in a converted transit van with his father, Kevin, in search of a new club. The pair set off from Belfast, crossed to France via Dublin, and have already begun a series of trials down the Spanish coast, with further stops planned in Portugal.
I just love doing things differently. I love trying to make my own opportunities as well.
Beimers spoke to a Northern Ireland sports outlet from the back of the van in Alicante, where he was sheltering from the afternoon heat. Having finished his A-Levels, he decided to leave Glentoran — the club he had been with since the age of 13 — to pursue opportunities on the continent instead of waiting for offers to arrive.
I just thought it's a perfect opportunity. Nothing's weighing me down.
If there was ever a time I was to do it, it's now.
How is the van holding up on the journey?
The van itself belongs to Beimers' sister, Charlie, who is currently travelling around Canada. When she first bought it, the vehicle was in poor condition.
in bad shape, it was terrible
It failed its MOT test twice before finally passing on a third attempt. Once it was made road-legal, the family converted it into a functional home on wheels, fitting a bed, storage space and a small cooking area. So far, according to Beimers, it has held up well throughout the trip.
Kevin Beimers, who works as a video game designer, is accompanying his son on the journey. He described the experience as a shared project with his children.
For me, him and my sister, it's been a good project to work on, and going to travel around with your dad, a lot of kids would love doing this. I just have to be grateful for it and also take the opportunities that are given to me here, and I think this whole trip will definitely bring us closer together.
What trials has Beimers arranged?
Beimers' agent has arranged a number of trials across Spain and Portugal, though most of the clubs involved cannot yet be named. According to a report from a national broadcaster's sports desk, his prospects span the top five divisions in both countries, across both youth and senior football, and he has already completed a training session with Spanish third-division club Hércules. The same report notes he is also due to fly briefly back to England to train with a London-based club.
Separately, a professional football database lists Beimers as a free agent following his departure from Glentoran, with his transfer date recorded as 1 July 2026, confirming that he left the club without a fee or a pre-arranged move in place.
Alongside the football itself, Beimers is learning Spanish to help him settle into life on trial, viewing cultural integration as being just as important as performance on the pitch. He acknowledges there is risk in his approach but says he remains open-minded about the outcome.
If it doesn't work out, then I'll always have a home in Northern Ireland.
It's quite easy to just sit back and just hope that something was going to come to me.
There probably would have been things, but I think it's better to just go and do it yourself, and hopefully it will work out.
Why has the van made him more attractive to clubs?
Travelling by van has given Beimers an advantage that a conventional trial arrangement would not, since clubs do not need to cover his travel or accommodation costs. Instead, he and his father simply park up wherever they can find space for the night. On days without a scheduled trial, they use the time to drive to nearby beaches to train, or take bikes off the beaten path.
Beimers' passport situation has also worked in his favour. Born in Northern Ireland to Canadian parents, he represented Canada at the Under-17 World Cup in 2025, and he additionally holds a Dutch passport through his grandfather, which simplifies registration with clubs across Europe.
It's nice to not know where you're going, even though there's quite a lot of things that we have sorted out. It's good to be free and just be less scheduled.
I love learning from new coaches, new environments. So I thought, 'yeah, let's mix it up a bit'.
Beimers' willingness to take an unconventional route to opportunity echoes other recent stories of people using long-distance travel to open doors, such as French cyclist Alan Rouget, who has been touring Ireland on a custom two-metre-tall bicycle and has covered more than 2,000km since November.
What happens next?
Beimers is set to continue his trial circuit through Spain and Portugal in the coming weeks before taking a short flight to England to train with the London club, according to the same broadcaster's report. He says his long-term ambition is to compete at the highest possible level.
I want to play against Barcelona or Real Madrid. Give me one game against one of those big clubs and then I'll just retire after that.
I'm going to keep playing football until I hate it and that could be until I'm 40 or 50. I just want to make a name for myself.
Key Facts
- Milo Beimers, 18, left Glentoran after nearly five years with the club to seek a move abroad.
- He and his father Kevin are travelling roughly 2,000 miles in a converted transit van across France, Spain and Portugal.
- Trials have been arranged across the top five divisions in Spain and Portugal, including a session with third-tier club Hércules.
- He holds Canadian, Northern Irish and Dutch nationality documents, easing registration with European clubs.
- He is listed as a free agent with a transfer date of 1 July 2026, and is due to train briefly with a London club in the coming weeks.
