Lee Carsley says ‘explosive’ Jay Stansfield is crucial for England U21s, Birmingham City experience is key

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England Under-21s are flying in the European Championships, and Jay Stansfield is the young man taking all the plaudits right now.

The Birmingham City star was one of the top performers in League One last season, scoring 24 goals in all competitions as the Blues romped to promotion and a cup final.

Stansfield is now part of the England squad for the Under-21s tournament in Slovakia, and will line up for the Three Lions in the semi-finals on Wednesday evening.

Fans and pundits alike heaped praise on Stansfield for his display vs Spain last week, and now, his manager Lee Carsley has joined the hype train.

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Lee Carsley plays up Jay Stansfield importance

Speaking to The Times about Stansfield’s input and importance ahead of the clash with the Netherlands, Carsley said: “One of the benefits – or not – of playing in League One is that you play every three or four days, so Jay’s recovered really well.

“He’s really important to the group. We’ve all played with players who make you feel better when they’re in the team because you know they will put the opposition under so much pressure.

“Jay’s so unselfish with the way he plays. It’s about getting the balance between the amount of out-of-possession intensity he plays with and making sure that he scores, because ultimately, that’s why your centre-forward is in the team.”

Reflecting on that win over Spain, Carsley added: “What he did for the team against Spain was outstanding. Our balance is making sure we bring him off at the right time, so we don’t run him into the ground.

“It’s very difficult for Jay to pace himself because of how explosive he is. But I expect him to be exactly the same again [versus Netherlands].”

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Success with England can push Jay Stansfield to great things with Birmingham City in 2025/26

Big things are expected of Birmingham in the coming season. In fact, we ran a survey and 58% of voters believe the Blues will finish in the top six in 2025/26.

There is just as much expectation on the shoulders of Stansfield, too. The 22-year-old is the main man under Chris Davies, but some have suggested he could score more goals.

A big part of that pressure comes from the £15m price tag Birmingham paid for him last summer. That’s why Stansfield is keen for the Blues to break their transfer record to divert some attention away from him.

Truth is, though, that pressure and level of expectation will never go away, at least not if Stansfield wants to make it to the very top.

Delivering success for England would be a huge step in his burgeoning career. And, doing it on the biggest stage with his country could well be the push Stansfield needs to propel Birmingham to success in the Championship next term, too.

They say nothing makes you hungrier for trophies than winning one. Let’s see if Stansfield can be the living proof of that.