Jay Stansfield: Birmingham debutant says fans gave him the energy to hit matchwinner

New Blues striker Jay Stansfield's memorable 95th-minute to beat Plymouth was almost the last kick of the game

Birmingham City matchwinner Jay Stansfield says the Blues fans helped give him the energy to hit his dream debut volley against Plymouth Argyle.

After being signed on a season's loan from Premier League side Fulham only on Friday, Stansfield started Saturday's game on the bench.

He was then brought on by boss John Eustace on 62 minutes, straight after Argyle had equalised.

And, just as it looked as if the Devon side might be the closer of the two teams to taking all three points, they were undone by a dream strike from a Devonian - a boyhood fan, and son of a club legend, of Argyle's great rivals Exeter City.

"It was amazing," said Stansfield. "I couldn't have dreamt of a better debut. It doesn't come any better, especially against Plymouth as well.

"I felt the buzz when I came on. Everyone stood up and welcomed me with their applause. I just felt welcome from that moment.

"It gave me a lot of energy to go and push for the winner. The stage was set for me to score. It gave me hunger to make an impact and show everyone what I've got. I knew where the goal was. I took a right-foot swing and luckily for me it went in."

'I think of my dad every time I score'

It was the second home game running that Blues had snatched an injury-time victory from one of their subs after Lukas Jutkiewicz's penalty against Leeds United. It also comes at a time when they are not short of headline makers at St Andrew's following the excitement over the financial input made by global sporting superstar Tom Brady.

But Stansfield has a private inspiration of his own, his late father Adam who was still an Exeter player when he died from bowel cancer at the tragically early age of just 31 in August 2010, when Jay was just seven years old.

Stansfield Sr scored almost 100 goals for his three clubs, Yeovil Town, Hereford United and Exeter (39 of them for the Grecians).

Lile father, like son... Adam Stansfield played for Exeter City

"I think of my dad with every goal I score in league football," said Jay, who followed his father's footsteps when this former Exeter academy player went back to St James Park on loan last season.

"He scored a lot of goals. My aim is to beat the number of goals he scored and become a hero like he did."

But Stansfield Jr admits he has perhaps most missed his dad of late, while weighing up where best to go after more than half the clubs in the Championship tried to sign him on loan.

"I think of him every day," he said. "In the last couple of weeks I could have done with him being around with his experience, advising me.

"I had so many teams coming in for me, it was quite tough thinking whether to move away from home or not - to go up north or down south.

"I could have done with some advice on where best to go, but I've still got all my family around me. I've got my step dad now, who helps me massively, and my mum who gives me a lot of advice on things, even though she doesn't know much about football. But she knows a lot about the family side of things."

The added Argyle factor

To cap his day, for an Exeter boy like Stansfield, to score against Plymouth was absolutely the icing on the cake - especially as he did not initially realise his first game would be against Argyle when he was first talking to Blues.

"I noticed on Thursday," he said. "I wanted to be at a club with big ambitions and it was a bonus when I saw the first game was Plymouth.

"Exeter is my home town so to score against them means a lot. I've had loads of messages from Exeter fans already, so yes, it's brilliant.

Jay Stansfield scored on his debut for Birmingham at St Andrew's against Plymouth

"It gave me a hunger to show them what I've got. Sometimes I get stick from them, so I wanted to go out and prove them wrong and show them what I could do.

"I don't think people realise the rivalry between Plymouth and Exeter but there is a massive one.

"I'm playing for Birmingham now but I played at Exeter all through the academy, all my family live there and I played against Plymouth last season and didn't score, so to do it this time was even more special.

"I remember scoring a similar one for Exeter last season against Charlton. The ball just dropped to me and I hit it on the volley. And probably the last time I played here (his first goal for Fulham came against the Blues at St Andrew's in August 2021) was a better goal.

"But, with the occasion, this is probably the best goal I've scored. I practise every day. Some people might say I'm just taking a swing at it but I know in my head where I'm putting it. And to score on my debut and get three points makes a statement to show everyone what I can do."

Blues now host Cardiff City in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, before Saturday's league visit of former Blues boss Gary Rowett's Millwall.