Jay Stansfield netted his 14th goal of the season for Birmingham City in their win over Burton Albion.
After Birmingham City’s record signing scored for the fourth straight League One encounter, Chris Davies praised him as ‘a natural goalscorer’.
Stansfield scored a penalty against Burton Albion on Boxing Day, leading the Blues to a 2-0 victory. Stansfield scored his fourth league goal in a row, bringing his total to eight in his last eight games and 14 in all competitions since rejoining Blues in the summer.
While the discussion about Stansfield’s ideal position continues, it is evident that the 22-year-old knows how to spot opportunities. Former Blues manager Wayne Rooney previously claimed Stansfield is not a natural goal scorer, but Davies believes some of the forward’s recent goals prove otherwise.
“I think he’s a natural goalscorer,” Davies added. “There have been a couple of recent goals that indicate this. His goal against Barnsley at the back-post from a corner, as well as his goal the night before at Crawley, helped him get in there.
“I’m playing him just off the left side so he’s having to make these runs into the goalscoring positions so he’s definitely a natural finisher.”
Stansfield has 12 league goals in just 15 games, making him the third-tier’s most prolific player per 90 minutes. With Stockport loanee Louie Barry, the league’s current top scorer, set to return to parent club Aston Villa in January, Stansfield is the favourite to win the Golden Boot.
Davies went on to say, “Jay’s enthusiasm and energy, fans will always warm to a player like that, because he runs, he works, he’s just infectious, and he has quality.” He’s a dangerous player who is constantly hunting for and exploiting gaps.
“He had a lot of time to wait with the penalty because of the treatment to the player that was down but he took it well and it was another good performance from Jay.”
