Caldwell Urges Exeter to Extend Warm Welcome to Stansfield

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell expressed his hope that Jay Stansfield will receive the welcome he merits upon his return to St James Park this Tuesday. Stansfield concluded his loan period at Exeter City by scoring a hat-trick in the final match of the 2022-23 season against Morecambe. The 22-year-old player progressed through Exeter’s youth system before moving to Fulham, and subsequently joining Birmingham City in the summer for a reported £15 million. He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Exeter, where he netted nine goals in 39 appearances, including a hat-trick in his last game during a 3-2 victory over Morecambe. His father, Adam, was also a respected striker at the club before his death from cancer at the age of 31 in 2010. Speaking to BBC Radio Devon in anticipation of the Blues’ visit, Caldwell stated, “What they’ve done, his dad and him, and the time I spent with Stanno here, was amazing.” He added, “I think his hat-trick will never be forgotten against Morecambe, so I’m sure the players and the supporters will welcome him back.” Caldwell then humorously remarked, “With all the connections he’s got, it’s important we show him what he means to this football club, and then for 100 minutes I hope they kick the life out of him and stop him from doing what Stanno does.” Gary Caldwell identified Jay Stansfield as one of the most promising young players he has coached. Exeter is projected to have gained over £1 million in sell-on fees from Stansfield’s transfer to Birmingham City in the summer, with his deal setting a record for a third-tier club. Stansfield has justified this confidence, scoring six goals in nine League One appearances, contributing to the Blues’ current fourth-place position in the table with games in hand on the teams above them. Caldwell shared that he holds positive memories of Stansfield, who was at the club when Caldwell took over as City manager from Matt Taylor in October 2022. Caldwell elaborated on Stansfield’s dedication, saying, “He came in every day trying to get better, wanted to be a player, had a hunger to stay out on the pitch after training.” He acknowledged a challenging period: “He went through a really difficult run here where he didn’t score for 22 games – as a young player I think we managed him well in that period.” Caldwell detailed their strategy: “We took him out of the team at times, we played him wide, we played him through the middle and we helped with his development.” He concluded by praising Stansfield’s inherent talent: “But he was one of those players that when you look at them and work with them, you know he is going to be a player.” Caldwell emphasized, “It’s not down to the coaches he works with, it’s his drive and determination that will make him a player and you could see that from the very first day working with him.” He concluded, “It was a pleasure to be his coach for the time that I had and he is somebody that I can always look up and hope that he does well – just not on Tuesday night.”