Birmingham City became the first team in the EFL to win promotion this season, as Chris Davies’ side sealed an immediate return to the Championship with six matches of the League One season to spare.
Davies was able to reap the benefits of a £25million summer spending spree which saw 17 new players arrive in one of the biggest transfer windows the third tier has ever seen.
The club’s final summer arrival was striker Jay Stansfield, who joined from Fulham in a £15million deal, shattering the previous League One record which was set when Sunderland splurged £5million on Will Grigg from Wigan in 2019.
Stansfield on his record-breaking move
The 22-year-old wasted little time settling back in at St Andrew’s following his loan spell last season, netting twice on his debut and sailing past the 20-goal mark as the Blues eased to promotion.
"If it was £500,000 or £15m, I would have come back to this club [after last season’s loan],” Stansfield tells FourFourTwo, as he looks back on his much-talked-about move. “At the time it was a big deal and something that everyone was talking about, and I go to stadiums and people will chant about it.
“The start of the season was a learning curve – I hit a patch when I didn’t score for four games – but I learned how to overcome it. When teams sing and think they can get under my skin, I try to just do all of my talking on the pitch and score goals.”
Stansfield’s move came after lengthy negotiations between Birmingham and Fulham, with the forward even playing and scoring for the Cottagers in a League Cup tie at St Andrew’s.
“Moving to Birmingham was something I really wanted – I enjoyed myself here so much last year and the club means everything to me,” he continues. “It was a tough season and we went down, but I made a special connection with the supporters. When this offer came, I was just waiting for the green light.
“It went to the last day of the window and I had to be professional at Fulham, helping them to reach another round of the EFL Cup by scoring a goal.”
Aside from their summer spending, the other high-profile narrative at St Andrew’s over the past two seasons is the club’s new ownership group which includes NFL icon Tom Brady.
“I spoke to the chairman, Tom Wagner, and Tom Brady as well when I left last season, saying thank you for everything they had done for me – having faith in me to lead the line,” Stansfield says when asked about the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback.
“Tom Wagner had a big impact on me coming back, and Tom Brady was in the conversation as well. It’s a privilege to have such a big sporting legend a phone call away.”
