Stewarts Incredible...

As blood gushed from his broken nose and jeers echoed from the shabby stands, Ross Stewart felt a renewed passion for football ignite within him.

Having been overlooked by professional clubs, the striker’s self-esteem had taken a hit as he turned to the junior leagues in an effort to salvage his budding career.

This journey became a pivotal moment for Stewart, who was a raw, lanky 18-year-old at the time. Fast forward ten years, and he has transformed into a prolific forward for Championship side Southampton, with his goals propelling him into the Scotland World Cup squad.

Stewart’s path to success has been anything but traditional. After struggling for several years in the pro-youth systems of St Mirren, Celtic, and Partick Thistle, he spent time with local junior clubs Ardeer Thistle and Kilwinning Rangers.

“Playing in the juniors did wonders for me,” Stewart said in a 2022 interview with BBC Scotland. “Being in an adult environment reignited my love for the game—the camaraderie and the banter were fantastic.”

“You aren’t treated like a youth player; you’re treated like an adult. I started performing well, scoring goals, and gradually climbed my way up the junior leagues, eventually earning a shot at the senior level.”

Broken noses and dad’s financial support

The term ‘juniors’ can be misleading. This is semi-professional football governed separately from the Scottish FA, featuring a mix of young talents and former internationals in their 40s.

The fiercely competitive atmosphere is not for the faint-hearted, as Stewart can vividly recall. He bears the scars to prove it.

“One memorable match was against Pollok, who have a sizable junior ground,” Stewart recalled. “I broke my nose that day. I remember getting knocked out and being insulted endlessly. At that level, there’s no sympathy for injuries—you just have to get up and carry on.”

“I attempted to turn past an opponent and took a shoulder right to the nose. There was blood everywhere, my nose was misaligned, and I was being called names.”

Stewart’s gamble of dropping down the leagues paid off when his impressive performances earned him a transfer to the Scottish Professional Football League with third-tier Albion Rovers. However, there was a unique twist: Kilwinning wanted £1,500 for their prized player, but Rovers could only offer £1,000. In stepped Stewart’s father, Cameron, to cover the difference.

This proved to be a wise investment, as Stewart’s career flourished, taking him to St Mirren, Ross County, Sunderland, and then Southampton.

“Dad says seeing me live my dreams is enough for him, but I’ve probably repaid him with plenty of complimentary tickets to my matches,” Stewart shared. “I owe him a lot. He played junior football too, as a sweeper, so we often have differing views on the game. He always likes to joke, ‘You would have hated facing me.'”

A World Cup on the horizon for Stewart?

It’s been more than five years since Stewart transitioned from fighting to avoid relegation with Ross County to helping Sunderland escape League One.

His goal-scoring prowess was instrumental in Sunderland’s promotion to the Championship, earning him a cult following, with fans dubbing him ‘The Loch Ness Drogba‘.

However, an unfortunate series of injuries has marred much of his time at Southampton since his arrival in 2023.

Despite this, the 29-year-old has demonstrated incredible resilience, recovering to score crucial goals as the Saints aim for immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

Stewart has netted nine times since January, including one against Arsenal in an FA Cup quarter-final victory last month and another in the play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough.

“Since January, he’s shown a tremendous run of form, scoring significant goals in key matches,” remarked Scotland head coach Steve Clarke about Stewart, who has earned two caps but hasn’t played since 2022. “It’s an inspiring story. He was part of my squad a few years back, and it’s clear he can perform at this level. His injury spell was unfortunate.

“His performance against Arsenal demonstrates he can make an impact in high-stakes games. The World Cup will certainly be on that level.”

Despite his remarkable rise, Stewart won’t get the chance to further his journey at Wembley this Saturday, as his club was disqualified from the Championship play-off final against Hull City due to a spying incident.

However, he may still climb to the Premier League on his own terms if he maintains his scoring form for Scotland in their first World Cup appearance in 28 years, offering a fitting conclusion to a decade-long journey.

Stewarts Incredible…