Stewart 'asked' for Albion's number nine shirt
Barney Stewart was one of West Brom's summer signings after scoring 12 league goals for Falkirk in Scotland last season
- Published
West Bromwich Albion striker Barney Stewart scored his first goal for the Baggies in only his second start to trigger Saturday's comeback win against Blackburn Rovers.
The Albion summer summer signing, wearing the revered Baggies' number nine shirt, then admitted he was not at all daunted by all the Albion number nines who have gone before him.
From England striker Derek Kevan in the 1950s, to Jeff Astle in the 1960s, to Cyrille Regis in the 1970s to Bob Taylor in the 1990s.
Three of them are even revered in song - "Astle is our king, and Cyrille Regis too and Super Bobby Taylor."
No pressure then?
But it is a pressure that 22-year-old Stewart, London-born to Scottish parents, was happy to take on when he arrived from Falkirk in June.
"It's a pressure I'm happy to have as I am a number nine," he told BBC Radio WM.
"I actually asked for the number nine shirt. I don't know why you wouldn't want it."
Barney Stewart's first goal in English league football arrived against Blackburn Rovers in the 19th minute at The Hawthorns
Having also dabbled with rugby union, Stewart was playing for Heriot-Watt University near Edinburgh in Scotland's fifth tier, while studying for a sports science degree, when Falkirk came in for him in 2024.
Before that, he had been in QPR's academy and played under-18s football for Hayes & Yeading - an amalgamation of the club Regis originally came from in 1977.
But he did well enough with Falkirk in the Scottish top flight last season to earn his move back south.
"It was not the usual route," he said. "I never had a proper look at professional football until I came to Scotland.
"But I got offered my chance with Falkirk and I always wanted to be a footballer so I was happy to take any path possible.
"I gave it a go but I knew clubs were sniffing after me, so it was a route into football.
"It's another step-up now but I knew that when I came here and it's been a case of having to be a bit patient.
"I'm possibly the most impatient person I know so I put a lot of pressure on myself. But it was nice to be part of a comeback victory. And now it's up to me."
