Jay Stansfield hailed for ‘outrageous performance’ with England U21s, Birmingham City ace ‘made the difference’

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The England Under-21 side defeated Spain last night, and Birmingham City’s Jay Stansfield has lapped up the plaudits for his role in the win.

With the best young talent currently out in Slovakia for the Under-21 European Championships, there are a few EFL players we are keeping our eye on.

One of them is Jay Stansfield, who is the star man for Birmingham City having fired them to promotion with 19 goals in League One.

He’s going to have to do it all again next season if the Blues are to achieve their dream of back-to-back promotions. But, judging by his latest display for the Three Lions, he’s going into the 2025/26 Championship campaign in fine form.

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Jay Stansfield praised for ‘intelligence’ and work rate

England’s U21 side met Spain in the quarter-finals of the tournament on Saturday night, and triumphed 3-1 to book their place in the semi-finals.

Stansfield was handed a starting spot by Lee Carsley, and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet, he proved his inclusion was a smart move.

On Twitter/X, pundits and fans alike have been raving about Stansfield’s performance, with praise for his impressive work ethic.

Henry Winter said: “Jay Stansfield has run himself into the ground for England. Been superb, especially out of possession, pressing.”

Fans wrote, “Jay Stansfield has caught the eye tonight! His intelligence off the ball and his work rate has been of a really good standard,” and another added, “Outrageous performance. Jay Stansfield, superb.”

Elsewhere, one supporter said: “Jay Stansfield has been unreal for the England Under-21s tonight. Hasn’t scored but his tracking back has been so important. He won’t get the plaudits because he hasn’t scored but what a performance.”

This will come as no surprise for Birmingham fans, of course. One Blues supporter said: “Non-stop effort from Jay Stansfield in his 80 mins for England U21s – led the press terrifically, forced a host of turnovers, was a thorn in Spain’s side. Basically, the same things he’s brought to the party over the last two years at Birmingham.”

Meanwhile, there was high praise from Josh Bunting, who added: “Jay Stansfield has made the difference here, a fluid number 9 that you can play into or around. That physical presence in the central zone to play off is perfect. This is the best balance of the team that England have had in this tournament. Just makes the most sense.”

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Jay Stansfield had a great season in 2024/25, but he’s got work to do

19 league goals is not a bad return at all for any player, with Stansfield also adding another five in cup competitions for Birmingham last season. But, with nine of those goals coming from the penalty spot, it’s fair to say some expected more from Stansfield.

The young striker has a lot of pressure on his shoulders due to the massive £15m fee Birmingham paid for him last summer. It’s one of the reasons Stansfield is keen for another big transfer to come through the door, to take some attention away from himself.

Whether that happens or not, Stansfield will know he needs to step up again in 2025/26 and deliver a similar level of attacking contributions for Birmingham if they are to achieve their dream of another promotion.

He won’t really care where those goals come from, as long as they come. But, if he can keep working as hard as last night, and create more chances from open play, he could well become one of the best players in the Championship.