Fulham were busy late on into the night as they raced to finalise a couple of deals. Former Tottenham Hotspur loanee Carlos Vinicius and Leeds United man Dan James are the two newest faces at Craven Cottage.
Meanwhile, a Fulham forward is on his way out of the club. Jay Stansfield has joined Exeter City on loan, a club who holds his family close to their hearts already.
Fulham Forward Returns to St James Park
✍️ H O M E C O M I N G 🤩
We are delighted to announce the signing of Jay Stansfield on loan from @FulhamFC for the rest of the 2️⃣2️⃣/2️⃣3️⃣ season ❤️#ECFC #OneGrecianGoal pic.twitter.com/M106xENHC9
— Exeter City FC (@OfficialECFC) September 2, 2022
A Heart-Warming Story Indeed
Adam Stansfield is a cult hero from the Cowshed to the Big Bank at St James’ Park. Just over a decade ago now, he sadly lost his battle with cancer. In a heart-warming full circle moment, his son and Fulham forward Jay Stansfield has returned to Devon. The teenager came up through the Exeter City academy before being snapped up by the Cottagers.
Remarkably, two of Stansfield’s four league appearances for Fulham have come this season in the Premier League. In the defeat at the Emirates to high-flying Arsenal, he entered the fray, replacing captain Tim Ream. Prior to that, he started in the dramatic 3-2 win over Thomas Frank’s Brentford, a great moment for him and his family.
💬 "It means a lot to be wearing number nine. I know the pressure will be high, but it felt the right thing to do. I will be proud to wear it and follow in his footsteps and beyond." ❤️
Jay Stansfield on signing on loan ⬇️#ECFC #OneGrecianGoal pic.twitter.com/6wbs9d7f0v
— Exeter City FC (@OfficialECFC) September 2, 2022
This makes the move for the Fulham forward all the more strange. He can start in the top division of English football and yet he will now be plying his trade in League One. Exeter gained promotion automatically out of League Two behind champions Forest Green Rovers. They have started the new season at this level very well indeed and under the stewardship of Matt Taylor, Stansfield will surely thrive.
Read More: Ipswich Town Midfielder Joins Exeter City on Loan
About the Fulham Forward
As previously mentioned, a 19-year-old Stansfield, who was born in Tiverton in Devon, made his Premier League debut just a week or two ago. Prior to that, he made a single Championship appearance in both of the Cottager’s last two stints at that level.
To make the move even more poignant for the Fulham forward, he will don the number that his dad wore with pride for the Grecians. A lot of football fans would assume him good enough to play at a higher level but of course nobody can begrudge him this.
