'To help get Notts promoted is incredible' - Belshaw

Notts County goalkeeper James Belshaw said it was "incredible" to achieve promotion with Notts County following their emphatic 3-0 League Two play-off final win over Salford at Wembley.

The 35-year-old played a pivotal part in helping the Magpies end their 11-year hiatus from English football's third tier after signing from Harrogate Town in January.

Belshaw told BBC Radio Nottingham: "To represent Notts is a dream come true. To get Notts promoted is incredible.

"The overriding emotion is just pride that I'm part of a Notts County team that gave those memories to 20 odd thousand Notts fans in there.

"I was emotional at the end and I didn't know how I'd be, it's a moment I've dreamt about for years."

From a young age, Belshaw was an avid supporter in the stands at Meadow Lane, notably travelling to Wembley as a five-year-old with family to watch the Magpies beat Ascoli to win the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1995.

His father and long-time season ticket holder, Paul, is regularly seen in the Kop stand at Meadow Lane.

"The city of Nottingham can be very proud of that team," Belshaw added, following Sunday's victory.

Both sides were evidently feeling the nerves and the intensity of the sweltering 37 degrees heat in the early stages of the game, and Belshaw was no exception.

He said: "You never know what you're going to feel like at Wembley and for the warm up and first 10, 15 minutes of the game I was just in a bit of a blur."

Notts talisman Alassana Jatta broke the deadlock with a composed finish after 32 minutes before Lucas Ness' header doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time.

Belshaw said: "We said at half-time, 'they're going to come at us' and within 20 seconds there was a guy one on one with me, and then after that to get the third goal and see the game out in that heat, incredible."

There were roughly 20,000 Notts fans in an overall crowd of 30,851 to witness Jodi Jones making the game safe with a third goal after 70 minutes.

"To see that sea of black and white, I was there three years ago (against Chesterfield), and then to be on the pitch now, to be contributing to a Notts County promotion, it's my daughter's (Isla's) third birthday and they're memories that we can give families for life," he continued."

It has been a turbulent time since The Magpies were relegated from League One in 2015, with multiple ownership changes and financial struggles.

Danish brothers Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz bought the club in 2019 but although they quickly restored stability, it took four years to get back to League Two from National League.

The appointment of Martin Paterson as head coach this season saw him join a newly-created technical board, headed by the owners, who have influenced everything from recruitment to team selection and tactics.

Belshaw added: "The way the manager spoke when I signed, it felt there was a bit of a reset for us, we knew what the goal was.

"The club, over the last six or seven years since the relegation to the National League, has been on a real upward trajectory and that's credit to everyone who's been involved, past managers, current ownership, players.

"The overriding emotion is that I remember all those Notts County promotion heroes, and now I feel like I'm one of them.

"When Isla is older, when I'm older, to walk round Nottingham and people remember the team of 25-26 that went and won at Wembley, I can't put it into words."