Birmingham City striker Jay Stansfield has admitted he has found it difficult to deal with the stick he has received since joining the club last summer.
The 22-year-old hit the headlines when he opted to move to St Andrew’s on a permanent deal. The reported £15 million fee eclipsed the previous League One record when Sunderland paid £3.4 million to acquire the services of Will Grigg in 2019.
He was immediately targeted by rival fans at every opportunity, although his 19 league goals did show that the Blues were justified in making the deal. However, with nine of those coming from the penalty spot, the murmurs from the stands have grown increasingly louder.
The attacker had the last laugh though, with Birmingham winning the title with an EFL record of 111 points.
Stansfield Reveals Struggles
With the season now in the history books, Stansfield has revealed that he took advice to learn how to deal with the extra pressure surrounding his price tag. Speaking to Birmingham Live, the England under-21 international said:
“I wouldn’t say it weighed heavily on me, but I got to a point in the season where I thought this is getting difficult so I’m going to have to find a way to manage it.
“I spoke to specialists around the club because they know how to deal with big pressure moments.
“Getting that help from a football psychologist, learning how to deal with different things, has been a big help for this season.
“It has been tough getting absolutely hammered every game for no reason.”
Continuing, the striker said he hopes that Birmingham break records in the transfer market again this summer to take the weight off his shoulders:
“I hope we bring someone in who’s worth even more because that takes the weight off my back!
“It’s what happens in football, you get it everywhere. As a young player from last season, with not many people speaking about you, to all of a sudden it’s gone everywhere that a League One team has spent this much money.
“That was out of my control and all I’ve got to say is thank you to the Blues fans for sticking by me. The next four or five years at this club is going to be special.
“Hopefully the noise dies down a bit now, but if it doesn’t I know how to deal with it.”
Writer’s View
This season will have been a huge learning curve for Jay Stansfield, and one in which will make him a better player. Having to contend with the pressure of his price tag is no easy feat for someone of his age, and he has coped admirably. Many will point to his penalty goals, but the fact he was standing up in that situation and putting them away speaks volumes about his character. All of this will help him to thrive in the Championship.
