Birmingham City: Jay Stansfield reveals why he wanted to come "home" to St Andrew's | OneFootball

The young striker didn't have any doubts about a return to St Andrew's last summer.

Jay Stansfield has revealed that Birmingham City's relegation to League One was never going to put him off of a move back to St Andrew's, and stated that the club feels like "home" to him.

Birmingham's intent to smash up the third division this season was rubber stamped when they signed Stansfield late on Deadline Day, agreeing a record-breaking deal with Fulham worth between £12-15 million plus a lot of add-ons, according to The Athletic.

They'd already reset the highest amount paid for any player by a League One club a couple of times before acquiring the young centre-forward, but this move obliterated it - it will almost certainly never be broken.

Jay Stansfield: Birmingham feels like home

The 22-year-old was a known entity to Blues fans when he arrived, having spent the previous season on loan at St Andrew's from his former Premier League parent side. He netted 12 league goals across the 2023/24 campaign, but it wasn't enough to keep City up.

Their new league status didn't dent Stansfield's feelings towards the club, though. He admitted to Birmingham Live that, as soon as the relegation was confirmed, he was thinking about returning to St Andrew's, a place that he now calls "home."

"As a forward the team relies on your goals and I felt like I was an important player last season to try and keep Birmingham in the Championship," said the striker. "Obviously we came up short but it was never in my mind that Birmingham is in League One and I wouldn’t want to go back there.

"From the minute I left the pitch after we got relegated there was always the thought process of what can I do to get back to Birmingham and help them get back to where they belong. It was a decision that I made with my family and it was the right decision to have a home, to develop as a young player and enjoy my football.

"The move was always going to be a positive in my eyes. From last season, when it finished and I went back (to Fulham), something was missing in myself and I found that again when I came back here.

"It’s just having a home where you feel comfortable and you can express yourself and do your best. Birmingham City is the home for me.

"To have a contract for that long (seven years) and to be able to help Birmingham get to where they want to be is a privileged position to be in.

"I’m so happy to be able to come here and sit and speak to you guys and say that I’ve made the right choice and I’m so excited for what the future holds for us."

Birmingham move was a very mature one by Stansfield

From the public's perspective, a League One outfit spending eight-figures on a player was bananas to say the least, as was the very lengthy, and probably well-paid, contract that he was given. However, from the club and the player's perspective, it made total sense.

Birmingham immediately made sure that they had the best player in the division, if they didn't have him already, and Stansfield joined a club with huge potential because of the finances that are behind Birmingham now thanks to Knighthead. They are set for a swift return to the Championship and they have the League One points record of 104 in their sights too.

He's thrived ever since returning, accruing 23 goals and two assists in all competitions this season, four of which have come in the Football League Trophy, of which Blues have a chance to win on Sunday when they face Peterborough United, the current holders, who they incidentally face tonight in the league as well.