"I expect" - Emile Heskey reveals Birmingham City, Jay Stansfield prediction | OneFootball

Former Birmingham City striker Emile Heskey spoke exclusively to Football League World about Jay Stansfield

Former Birmingham City striker Emile Heskey has backed Jay Stansfield to continue his rich vein of form and enjoy a productive goalscoring campaign in League One.

Tom Wagner and co laid bare their intent to guide Blues out of the promotion trapdoor and back to the Championship - and beyond - during the summer, splashing the cash in a lavish, eye-catching and undoubtedly strong transfer window.

The total cost of Birmingham's summer spending spree has been speculated to great extent and conflicting reports have continually emerged, although it goes without saying that Head Coach Chris Davies was handed something of a warchest after leaving Tottenham Hotspur to take the reins at St Andrews @ Knighthead Park.

He has assembled what many have rightly deemed to be a third-tier super-team, as Blues flexed their financial muscles and corresponding pull power to convince the likes of Willum Willumsson, Christoph Klarer, Tomoki Iwata and Ben Davies, among others, to drop to League One in what surely represented the most breathtaking transfer window in the division's history.

No deal was more remarkable than the one to bring last season's loan hero Stansfield back to the Second City from Fulham, though. Shockwaves emerged up and down the country when Birmingham successfully struck a blockbuster deadline day deal in excess of £10 million, a League One record by some margin.

Stansfield, who was a target for a host of Championship clubs, put pen to paper on a seven-year deal in order to return to the club after excelling on loan in spite of their relegation in the previous campaign.

Jay Stansfield's form at Birmingham City in 24/25

Akin to his side, Stansfield has hit the ground running in League One and, unsurprisingly, appears classes above the level, which you would perhaps from a player who scored 12 Championship goals for a relegated side last time out.

The 21-year-old previously enjoyed an impressive nine-goal loan spell in the third-tier with Exeter City two seasons ago, and has started this term in rich goalscoring form by returning four strikes from his first league six outings, including a late penalty in Birmingham's 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday evening.

According to ex-Birmingham frontman Heskey, who knows a thing or two about finding the back of the net for Blues, Stansfield is not going to slow down anytime soon and will finish the campaign with more than 20 league goals under his belt.

Heskey, who earned 62 caps for England and represented the likes of Liverpool, Leicester City while crossing the Second City divide to turn out for Aston Villa for three years, spent two seasons with Birmingham in the Premier League.

After signing from Liverpool in the summer of 2004, Heskey impressed in his first season with the club by scoring 11 Premier League goals to help Birmingham to a respectable 12th-placed finish.

However, he sought a departure to Wigan Athletic in the wake of relegation the following season. Nonetheless, the the 46-year-old is still keeping tabs on his old side and he believes Birmingham's might in League One will continue bearing fruit for Stansfield in front of goal.

"I think when you’re talking about strikers who are clinical goalscorers, you’re looking at 20 goals a season," Heskey exclusively explained to Football League World when quizzed on Stansfield's potential total goal-haul this term.

"He’s done a fantastic job so far, we know he’s a goalscorer and I wouldn’t say it’s easy for him in League One but he’s probably finding it really nice at this moment in time.

"They [Birmingham] stand out above everyone else, so I expect him to get 20+ goals this season."

Jay Stansfield's upcoming matches at Birmingham City

The England under-21 international will be looking to further strengthen his stat-line in the coming weeks.

Birmingham, who lead the league table after eleven matches, are back in action on Saturday afternoon, when they make the trip up the Midlands to face fourth-placed Mansfield Town.

Following that, a reunion of sorts awaits Stansfield, with Birmingham set to face off against Fulham's under-21 side in the EFL Trophy at home next Tuesday. More cup action is on the calendar that week, and Blues will travel to National League outfit Sutton United for an FA Cup first-round tie on November 3.