Jay Stansfield, Birmingham City's top scorer for three consecutive seasons, has realized that football is about more than just finding the net. Speaking after the club's end-of-season awards, the 23-year-old reflected on his evolving role and the burden of goalscoring.
Adapting to a New Position
Stansfield, the most expensive signing in Blues' history, finished the season level with Marvin Ducksch on 11 goals in all competitions. However, after scoring nine in his first 17 appearances of 2025/26, he managed just two in his final 30 matches. Manager Chris Davies often deployed Stansfield as a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 system, a role the forward is still learning.
"It's a different role and I'm still learning it but confidence comes with that," Stansfield said. "When you haven't scored for so long you're waiting for something to happen and that's when I've had to realise I'm not just a goalscorer, I've got other parts to my game."
Building a Partnership with August Priske
Stansfield highlighted his growing connection with fellow striker August Priske, who joined the club last summer. Both players are under contract until 2031, the year Blues plan to move to their new stadium, The Powerhouse.
"The last few weeks with August, we've built a really good connection on and off the pitch," Stansfield added. "I'm a bit sad that the end of the season has come because I think we were getting into a good stride. I'm really looking forward to working with him next year."
Their partnership helped Blues end the season on a five-game unbeaten run. Stansfield praised Priske's adaptation to English football: "For a young lad coming to England, the first few months in the Championship can be tough and he's dealt with it really well."
Shared Goalscoring Responsibility
Stansfield acknowledged that the goalscoring burden is now shared among several players, including Ducksch and Kyogo Furuhashi. "You can see with the players we've invested in that they are here to score goals as well," he said. "It's taken the pressure off a little bit but I will always see myself as a goalscorer."
Looking ahead, Stansfield remains optimistic about his development: "I'm still learning and improving. It's a good place to be I think, knowing the potential that's there but also knowing I've got things to work on. It's enjoyable working on these things rather than constantly practicing finishing."
