Alfie Chang

Alfie Chang
Chang pictured in 2021
Personal information
Full name Alfie James Chang
Date of birth (2002-09-04) 4 September 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth Worcester, England
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Walsall (on loan from Birmingham City)
Youth career
–2021 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021– Birmingham City 13 (0)
2025– → Walsall (loan) 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:28, 3 February 2025 (UTC)

Alfie James Chang (born 4 September 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League Two club Walsall, on loan from EFL League One club Birmingham City.

Early life and career

[edit]

Alfie James Chang[1] was born in Worcester[2] on 4 September 2002.[3] He attended Droitwich Spa High School.[4] He joined Birmingham City's Academy as an under-10,[5] and took up a two-year scholarship in July 2019.[6] According to the then academy manager Kristjaan Speakman, Chang "is most effective as a deep midfield player. In this position he is able to dictate the tempo of the game and through calm and composed possession is able to demonstrate an excellent range of passing. In higher areas of the pitch he has the creativity and cleverness to construct play able to create opening for forward players."[6]

Playing in central midfield, he captained Birmingham's under-18s in their 2020–21 FA Youth Cup campaign,[7] and played for Birmingham's U23 team as they beat Sheffield United U23 in the national final of that season's Professional Development League.[8] Chang was one of five under-18s offered their first professional contract in 2021,[9] and one of four who accepted.[10]

Birmingham City

[edit]

Chang was given a squad number and named on the bench for Birmingham's 2021–22 EFL Cup first-round match at home to Colchester United of League One. He remained unused, but in the second round of the same competition, on 24 August, he replaced Dion Sanderson after 73 minutes to make his senior debut as Birmingham lost 2–0 at home to Fulham.[11] His first senior start came a year later, in the first round of the 2022–23 EFL Cup away to Norwich City, which Birmingham lost on penalties. "A composed midfield performance" in that game[12] was followed four days later by his Football League debut. With Ryan Woods on the verge of leaving the club, Chang started alongside Jordan James in central midfield in Birmingham's visit to Cardiff City in the Championship; he played 75 minutes of the 1–0 defeat.[13][14] He went on to make 17 appearances in all competitions, including 13 matches (7 starts) in the Championship.[3]

In August 2023, Chang suffered a "significant knee injury" in training,[15] later revealed to be tears to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, the medial collateral ligament and the meniscus,[16] which kept him out for the entire 2023–24 season.[17] He eventually returned to the first team on 11 January 2025, after 522 days out, as a second-half substitute against Lincoln City in the 2024–25 FA Cup with his side 2–0 ahead. In stoppage time, the referee awarded a penalty to Lincoln for a foul by Chang, which Birmingham manager Chris Davies thought would not have been given had VAR been available.[18]

Walsall (loan)

[edit]

With the aim of playing regular first-team football, Chang joined League Two club Walsall on 3 February 2025 on loan for the rest of the season.[19]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of match played 1 February 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Birmingham City 2021–22[20] Championship 0 0 1 0 1 0 — 2 0
2022–23[3] Championship 13 0 3 0 1 0 — 17 0
2023–24[21] Championship 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 1 0
2024–25[22] League One 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 13 0 5 0 3 0 0 0 21 0
Walsall (loan) 2024–25[22] League Two 0 0 — — — 0 0
Career total 13 0 5 0 3 0 0 0 21 0

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Club list of registered players" (PDF). English Football League. 23 June 2020. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Player search: Chang, AJ (Alfie)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Games played by Alfie Chang in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Year 11" (PDF). Newsletter. No. 302. Droitwich High School. 30 September 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Alfie Chang". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Revealed: Blues' new scholars for 2019/20". Birmingham City F.C. 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  7. ^ Murphy, Daniel (12 March 2021). "Liam Delap gives Man City food for thought in transfer market with excellent FA Youth Cup display". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  8. ^ Dick, Brian (24 May 2021). "Blues U23s vs Sheff Utd U23s player ratings: Man City trainee sparkles as George blunts Blades". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Birmingham City: Jon Toral and Dan Crowley among 13 players released". BBC Sport. 17 May 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Blues quartet sign pro deals". Birmingham City F.C. 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  11. ^ "EFL Cup: Birmingham City 0–2 Fulham". BBC Sport. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  12. ^ Lee, Matt (9 August 2022). "Birmingham City player ratings as Bellingham, Chang & Williams shine in Norwich defeat". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  13. ^ Holland, Josh (13 August 2022). "Birmingham City transfer 'agreed' as midfielder misses Cardiff City clash". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  14. ^ Pearlman, Michael (13 August 2022). "Cardiff City 1–0 Birmingham City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  15. ^ Dicken, Alex (24 August 2023). "Birmingham City midfielder Alfie Chang suffers serious knee injury in training". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  16. ^ Birmingham City Academy [@bcfcacademy] (9 December 2024). "August 2023: Tears his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus in pre-season training. December 2024: Scores five minutes into his first game back from injury. Great to have you back, Alfie Chang" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 February 2025 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Dicken, Alex (31 July 2024). "Chris Davies explains the situation with Birmingham City's forgotten man". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  18. ^ Dicken, Alex (12 January 2025). "Alfie Chang gesture revealed after Birmingham City man plays first game in 522 days". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  19. ^ Bennett, George (3 February 2025). "Walsall land Birmingham City midfielder on loan". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  20. ^ "Games played by Alfie Chang in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  21. ^ "Games played by Alfie Chang in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Games played by Alfie Chang in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
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