Alfons Sampsted is making the most of his long-awaited breakthrough at Birmingham City, finally earning his first Championship start in the 24th game of the season. The Icelandic defender impressed during Monday’s 1-1 draw against Southampton, stepping up to solve a pressing issue at right-back.
With Tomoki Iwata moving back to midfield and the unavailability of Bright Osayi-Samuel and Ethan Laird, Sampsted was given a crucial chance—despite facing an uncertain future after several new signings in his position over the summer.
“I’m not stupid, I know how football works,” Sampsted admitted. “When players are signed for your position, it’s tough to keep your spot. They wouldn’t be buying players if I was already ahead in the queue. But football isn’t set in stone. If you perform well, you can climb the ranks and earn more minutes on the pitch.”
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Sampsted has had limited game time this season but has focused on staying ready. “It’s not easy to stay fit and be prepared for 90 minutes in such a high-intensity game that requires constant focus and energy,” he explained. “That’s where professionalism kicks in—you have to keep working hard so when the chance comes, you can handle the full match.”
His dedication was evident against Southampton where he was even considered a candidate for Man of the Match. Sampsted had a notable involvement in a controversial moment late in the game. He headed the ball down to teammate Tomoki Iwata, who was about to regain possession before being impeded by referee Matthew Donohue. The resulting disruption allowed Southampton to launch a counter-attack that led to Cameron Archer’s equalizer, much to the frustration of Blues’ manager Chris Davies.
Commenting on the incident, Sampsted said, “I was just trying to head the ball down to Tomoki to keep build-up play going. Unfortunately, the referee stepped in and stopped Tomoki from getting the ball. The ball fell to them, and they scored on the counter. I think even the referee knows it was a mistake. It was in a tough position for him, but everyone makes errors, and this one benefited the other team.”