Barney Stewart described the feeling of making the switch to West Bromwich Albion as both “incredible” and “amazing”.
The 22-year-old, who was born in London but has featured for Scotland’s U21 side, left Falkirk to sign a four-year contract at The Hawthorns on Wednesday.
Stewart scored an eye-catching 18 goals in 33 appearances in all competitions during the 2025/26 campaign – bagging eight for Dunfermline while out on loan, before returning to his parent club and going on to notch a further ten strikes in the top tier of Scottish football.
The move to the West Midlands has materialised less than two years since Barney was plying his trade for Heriot-Watt University in the first division of the East of Scotland Football League – six levels below the likes of Falkirk, Celtic, Hearts and Rangers north of the border.
The towering forward spoke of his determination to prove himself in the Sky Bet Championship during his first WBA TV interview, while also stating his desire to maintain his red-hot form in front of goal in a new country.
Barney said: “It’s incredible to be here. Driving up today and driving into the training ground, I was just thinking to myself how amazing it was.
“West Bromwich Albion had been in for me for a while, which shows just how well the club is put together. They got their act together very quickly. The club reached out to my agent a few months ago and as soon as I heard they were interested, it was tunnel-vision and I didn’t really care about any other interest.
“I’m so excited by the challenge of playing in the Championship. I love the frequency of the games and it’s one of the best leagues in the world to watch. To be a part of the division will be incredible.
“I think the main factor which has led me to this position is hard work. I don’t think you can go far wrong if you’re putting in as much hard work as possible.
“I’ve got a couple of strong physical attributes and an eye for the net which obviously help facilitate moves like this one, but, for me, I’m quite an honest person and player and what you see is what you’ll get. I’ll always give 100 per cent. That’s what has got me here and I’ll carry on working as hard as I can.
“There will be a difference between the Scottish Premiership and the Championship. The Championship is a step up, but, in terms of actual physicality, I’m expecting the Championship to be equally as fierce and rough as it is up in Scotland.
“Luckily, I’m quite naturally athletic, so that always helps me out. I think my experience of playing up top in Scotland will help me in the Championship and I’ll be checking my shoulders an awful lot, ready for the big central defenders to come in from behind.”
Barney added: “I saw a stat the other day which said that only one of my goals was scored when I had a touch before the finish, which suggests there’s plenty of first-time finishes. I come to life around the box and that’s my speciality.
“I scored plenty of goals last season and everyone knows confidence is massive in football. Although I didn’t score consistently towards the end of the season, scoring 18 goals overall was great. It was great for me, especially when you consider the injury I had in the previous pre-season. I never really expected the season to go as well as it did. To end up here is the best thing that could’ve happened.
“I’m very confident that I can score the goals here at the Albion, just like I did last year for Dunfermline and Falkirk. I’m a confident person and I’ll always back myself. I’d absolutely love to find the same form as last year, starting in pre-season.
Stewart has already held meetings with head coach James Morrison, a man who won 46 caps for the senior Tartan Army side.
The new addition to Albion’s ranks says the boss has “great plans and aspirations” for him.
He said: “I had a great chat with the manager James Morrison. He won loads of caps for Scotland and he’s got loads of contacts up there, so he knows lots about me.
“From what I have heard, he’s got great plans and great aspirations for me. He’s a lovely guy, so I can’t wait to get started and get to work under him.
“He knows I’m a young player and I have to develop, but he told me he’s there to help me and I can go to him with anything if I need help. He’s an ex-player, so he’ll always understand things from a player’s perspective and that’s great to have.”
