Jay Stansfield’s impressive season at St. Andrew’s has seen him rewarded with the opportunity to shine at Fulham
Marco Silva, the manager of Fulham, said that Jay Stansfield will not be leaving the club in the summer. The forward is still very much in the plans for the first team at Craven Cottage.
The striker has enjoyed two EFL loans over the past two seasons; firstly with hometown club Exeter City, before spending the previous term with Birmingham City in the Championship.
The 20-year-old scored 12 times in 43 second tier games for the Blues, but was ultimately unable to stop them dropping down into League One for the next campaign, having finished one point adrift of safety.
Ipswich Town and Sunderland had both been linked with moves for the frontman in the past, and he was likely going to be a target for many second tier teams, but the latest admission from Silva has stopped any rumours of another move away from the Premier League side in their tracks.
Marco Silva shares Jay Stansfield plans for Fulham in 2024-25 season
Stansfield is a player that has always been rated at Fulham, with the forward joining the club as a 16-year-old from Exeter City: the club his late father, Adam, also played for.
Having made his debut for the West London side as a 17-year-old in January 2020, he has played just eight times for them to date, with his only goal for the club coming against Birmingham in the League Cup back in 2021.
With two successful loan spells under his belt – which have seen him develop his prowess in front of goal – his current boss now believes he is ready for a shot at the Premier League.
Silva said, per the Evening Standard: “He’s going to be back with us. Everything we planned, apart from the collective goal of Birmingham which was not what we wanted, was a box [ticked].
“He played the season before in League One [with Exeter City], and to be able to give a step forward in the Championship and be an important piece in the attack-line and score important goals [was pleasing]. Jay achieved all the important things.
| Jay Stansfield Birmingham City Championship stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 43 | ||
| Starts | 39 | ||
| Goals | 12 | ||
| Assists | 2 | ||
| Goals/90 | 0.32 | ||
| Source: FBRef | |||
“Now is the moment for him to come back and be one of the players in our attacking line for next season.”
Stansfield impresses despite Birmingham City Championship relegation
Birmingham City’s season was one mired by happenings off the pitch, with the takeover of the club and managerial changes galore having an adverse effect on what was happening on the pitch.
Having started so brightly under John Eustace, new Chairman Tom Wagner decided to oust the former Watford man and appoint Wayne Rooney; a move which backfired spectacularly with just two wins from his 15 matches in charge.
With the slump already in full flow, Tony Mowbray and later Gary Rowett failed to stop the slide, leaving the Blues facing a first season in the third tier for 30 years.
The only bright spot at St. Andrews during a mostly bad season was Stansfield’s performances, which gave fans hope and motivation. The young forward’s amazing speed and eye for goal scared many Championship defenders.
The striker has all the skills he needs to do well at the top level, which is why he won all the awards at the Blues’ end-of-season party. He was very proud of this as he waved goodbye to City.
He said, “It made me sad to leave knowing that my teammates and supporters had voted for me.” As you may know, I agreed to play on loan for a season and have loved every minute of it. I’ve also learned a lot.
“I think I felt like I had a bond with the fans and the club that made me want to give every game my all.”
“We lost in the end, and everyone in the club is upset about it.” There’s a good chance that the club will be gone soon. We hope they can keep going next season.
From his first goal against Plymouth Argyle to his last in a 3-0 win over Coventry City, Stansfield showed that he is a future star in the Premier League. It wouldn’t be surprising if he did just as well next season in the top flight, but it will be disappointing for potential suitors who were interested in the young forward before the summer.
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