Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has placed striker Jay Stansfield in a special category, labelling him one of England's finest young talents and backing him for a future senior international call-up.
Stansfield's Meteoric Rise
The 22-year-old has made a spectacular start to the current Championship campaign, demonstrating his crucial role in the Blues' setup. Stansfield has already notched six goals and provided two assists in just 13 league appearances, complemented by a match-winning strike in the cup against Sheffield United.
His influence at St Andrew's is profound. Since initially joining on loan from Fulham in 2023, a move that later became permanent for a club-record fee, Stansfield has scored an impressive 43 goals in 106 games for Birmingham. His contributions were instrumental in securing a League One winners' medal, and his success continued internationally as he spearheaded the England under-21s to European Championships glory over the summer.
Manager's High Praise and Key Attributes
Davies's admiration for his star player was palpable as he dissected Stansfield's recent performance against Millwall, where he scored one, created another, and relentlessly troubled the opposition's defence.
"Before I came he was the best player at the club, then we managed to get him back and he was outstanding in League One," Davies stated. "He's gone to England under-21s and been their best striker and changed the tournament around for them really."
The manager pinpointed Stansfield's exceptional energy and tactical intelligence as his standout qualities. His counter-pressing and immediate reactions to win back possession make him a nightmare for defenders trying to break out. Davies also emphasised that Stansfield is tactically switched-on and capable of playing both as a number nine and a number ten, showing significant growth since returning to the Championship.
The Path to the England Senior Team
With a race to eventually replace Harry Kane on the horizon, Stansfield is emerging as one of the few promising English centre-forwards. While England managers seldom look to the Championship for talent, Davies is confident that if Birmingham City can achieve promotion to the Premier League, Stansfield has every chance of entering the conversation.
"I've worked with many England internationals and if Jay continues along the path that he's going... then there's no doubt that he can achieve that," Davies asserted. He praised Stansfield's professional attitude and focus, describing him as "the exact type that they will want" for the national team setup.
With nine direct goal contributions this season and his trajectory pointing firmly upwards, the future looks exceptionally bright for Birmingham City's talismanic forward.
