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Alfons Sampsted has confirmed his predicament at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park

Birmingham City full-back Alfons Sampsted has confirmed that he will be signing for the club on a permanent basis at the conclusion of the season.

Speaking to Birmingham Live after Blues' most-recent League One success - a 2-1 victory over Stevenage at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park - the Icelandic defender provided first-hand clarification on his future in the West Midlands after recent speculation regarding his immediate future at the end of the campaign.

Sampsted was one of two changes to Chris Davies' side in midweek as he replaced Krystian Bielik on the right-side of defence after the club captain started last weekend's victory against Lincoln City in B9 in place of the injured Ethan Laird.

The 23-time international was a constant threat on Blues' right-hand side alongside Kieran Dowell, who slotted home the penalty which Sampsted won after being brought down by Boro's Louis Thompson with 26 minutes on the clock.

And, after making a strong impression in what was his first start in the third tier since joining on loan from FC Twente last August, the right-back was able to provide further positivity to a night which saw the West Midlands side extend their lead at the top of the table to a 14-point margin.

When the defender's temporary switch from the Eredivisie club was announced during the first week of the League One campaign, it was stated that within the deal, Birmingham held the option to secure his services on a permanent basis.

Despite enduring a spell of mixed fortunes, which included a spell on the sidelines with an ankle issue between November and the turn of the year, the former Bodo/Glimt man stated to ESPN NL in February that his long-term future was likely to be in the Second City, before it was revealed last week by TwenteInsite that the clause within Sampsted's deal was activated as Blues, unsurprisingly, were the first team in the third tier who couldn't be mathematically relegated to League Two.

And, after making his maiden league start for Blues after 10 previous substitute cameos, the full-back made it clear to Birmingham Live that he would be staying at St Andrew's in the long run.

“Yes. I don’t know if I can say anything, but yes,” he stated when asked about if the temporary switch will be made permanent in the coming weeks.

Sampsted was also delighted with the impact he was able to have on the game after watching the likes of Laird, Bielik and Taylor Gardner-Hickman become prominent figures at right-back in the previous 34 games of the season.

“First and foremost it was a great performance from the team and I managed to put my own mark on it with the penalty that I got and the energy that I brought in," he added.

“Most of my career I’ve played as a right full-back that loves to push high and this (system) is really tailored for that. The manager allows me to drift inside at some points as well which suits me."

“I’ve been looking at the position from outside for a long time, to be on the pitch and be able to perform was a nice feeling.”

Chris Davies praises Alfons Sampsted's mentality

With the bulk of Sampsted's 566 minutes in Royal Blue coming in the FA Cup or EFL Trophy, Davies was quick to praise the Icelandic for taking his opportunity amid Laird and Gardner-Hickman's absence, as well as his overall mentality in training.

“He made so many runs in that first half, inside and outside, it was constant. Sometimes they sort of looked up and he’d already run and they hadn’t seen it. He was relentless," the Blues boss said.

“I think that was because he really wanted to seize his opportunity. He’s had to be patient and he wasn’t even in the squad in the last game and now he’s starting this game.

“I was confident to put him in because his daily training and his attitude is exceptional. He’s one of the best professionals you could ever work with and I knew he’d be ready because of how hard he’s been working in the background.

“I’m really pleased for him that he’s seized his chance," Davies concluded.

Alfons Sampsted has given Chris Davies a handy selection dilemma

Given the strength-in-depth at Davies' disposal, such a strong performance by Sampsted will give the Birmingham manager a welcome selection headache heading into the final weeks of the season.

Whilst the 39-year-old stated that Laird wouldn't be on the sidelines for long, and that it looks beyond a certainty at this point that the club will be returning to the Championship at the first time of asking, there are plenty of games still on the horizon, which means the former Tottenham Hotspur assistant will have to rotate.

It remains to be seen whether the reverse fixture against Tuesday's opponents will take place on March 22nd, with Sampsted one of several players on the books who have regular international involvement, whilst the possibility of a three-game week in April isn't unrealistic to suggest amid postponements and Blues' run to the EFL Trophy Final.

However, as days go, Tuesday was a pretty stellar one for the Kopavogur-born man, who will be hoping he can showcase such talent as Birmingham march towards the second tier and look to achieve their ambitions beyond promotion as quickly as possible.