The Story Behind Jay Stansfield’s Decision to Work With a Psychologist at Birmingham City

Jay Stansfield has experienced intense scrutiny during his time at Birmingham City, despite still being only 23, with the attention largely linked to the club’s ambitious plans to return to the Premier League.

Knighthead Capital Management took control of Birmingham in July 2023 with the intention of dragging the club out of years of stagnation. Although their ownership has experienced its share of difficulties, that long-term ambition has remained firmly in place.

Birmingham have been outside the Premier League since being relegated at the end of the 2010/11 campaign. However, the presence of figures such as Tom Wagner and NFL legend Tom Brady within the club’s ownership structure has underlined the ambition surrounding the project.

Wagner has made no secret of his desire to see Birmingham reach the Premier League as quickly as possible. That vision has already resulted in significant sums being spent on players, with Stansfield arguably the clearest example of the expectations now surrounding the squad.

Stansfield quickly became a Birmingham favourite

Stansfield’s connection with Birmingham developed after he had already made a name for himself at Exeter City, where his late father Adam remains fondly remembered. The striker scored nine League One goals for Exeter before earning the opportunity to test himself in the Championship while on loan from Fulham.

His first season with Birmingham came during the club’s chaotic 2023/24 campaign. Despite several managerial changes, Stansfield established himself as an important player, finishing with 12 league goals and two assists from 43 appearances.

He initially arrived under John Eustace and immediately made an impact, scoring a dramatic late winner on his Birmingham debut against Plymouth Argyle.

The eventual relegation to League One was a major disappointment for the club, but Stansfield’s individual performances remained a huge positive. At the end-of-season awards ceremony, he collected all five available prizes, further highlighting his importance to the supporters.

His future consequently became a major talking point, with speculation growing about where he would play the following season.

Record-breaking transfer increased the pressure

Following Chris Davies’ appointment, Birmingham embarked on an ambitious recruitment drive and repeatedly broke the League One transfer record.

Even after signing prolific striker Alfie May from Charlton Athletic, Birmingham continued to pursue a permanent deal for Stansfield, despite interest in the forward from clubs higher up the English football pyramid.

It eventually took several unsuccessful bids before Birmingham and Fulham reached an agreement. The resulting £15 million deal broke both the club’s transfer record and the League One record, with Stansfield signing a seven-year contract.

The circumstances surrounding the transfer were particularly unusual.

Birmingham were drawn against Fulham in the second round of the EFL Cup, giving Stansfield the opportunity to return to his parent club. He scored Fulham’s second goal in front of the Tilton Road stand but chose not to celebrate.

Just four days later, however, he was back at Birmingham and received a warm reception from the supporters before the dramatic victory over Wigan Athletic.

Stansfield reveals how he dealt with the pressure

The size of the transfer inevitably generated debate, and the pressure became increasingly difficult for Stansfield to manage despite an outstanding 2024/25 campaign.

He scored 24 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions and played a major role in Birmingham’s hugely successful League One season. A minor injury suffered during the EFL Trophy semi-final limited his availability, but he still helped the club reach Wembley and finish the campaign by setting a new EFL points record.

Away from the pitch, however, the expectations surrounding his £15m price tag began to take their toll.

Stansfield later explained that there came a point during the season when he realised he needed assistance to cope with the pressure. Rather than allowing the situation to affect his performances, he sought guidance from specialists within the club.

That included working with a football psychologist, who helped him develop ways of managing the expectations and pressure attached to his transfer fee.

The striker also admitted that the criticism from opposition supporters could be difficult, but he focused on responding through his performances rather than allowing the outside noise to distract him.

Stansfield still has time to develop

At just 23, Stansfield remains at an age where there is significant scope for further improvement.

His 2025/26 Championship campaign produced 10 goals and six assists in 44 appearances, with 41 starts. Although he came close to matching his previous League One goal tally, only two of his goals arrived during the second half of the campaign.

His versatility also meant he was used in several different positions rather than consistently occupying the role in which he is arguably most effective.

With August Priske now providing additional competition in attack, Stansfield will need to continue developing if he is to maintain his place as one of Birmingham’s key players.

Nevertheless, his long-term future remains secure. He is contracted to Birmingham until 2031, giving him plenty of time to grow alongside a club that could look very different by the end of that agreement.

For Stansfield, the challenge will be to continue improving, block out criticism surrounding his transfer fee and demonstrate on the pitch why Birmingham were prepared to make such a significant investment in him.