Albion's number nine Barney Stewart has spoken of his determination to kick on and be a regular starting striker after scoring his first goal for the club at the weekend.
The 22-year-old opened his Hawthorns account on Saturday afternoon with a 19th-minute effort which proved to be the catalyst for the Baggies' thrilling comeback win over Blackburn Rovers.
It was the young Scot's second Sky Bet Championship start in navy blue and white since joining from Falkirk in the summer, although he also has eight more substitute cameos in the second tier to his name.
And with his first goal under his belt, Barney stressed just how keen he is to contribute further and do himself, James Morrison and his team-mates proud.
He said: “Getting that goal was more of a relief than anything because it was a long time coming. It was a great experience to score my first goal and it always feels better to play an important part, especially because we completed the comeback.
“We've got great strikers at the club in Aune Heggebø and JJ Morgan, which is brilliant for the team, and it’s all friendly competition. I love them both off the pitch, but, of course, I want that starting role. We push each other every day in training and you always want to score the most in training and in games.
“If you looked at my stats, I had something like 10 appearances, no goals and no assists in the league. As a striker, I wasn't happy with that at all, even though I was still finding my feet, so it’s always good to get the first goal because it can weigh on you. Hopefully I can take off from here and start playing more minutes and really start filling that role of a striker.
"I asked for the number nine shirt, and while it is just a number on the back of a shirt, there’s a lot of history to it. I want to fill those shoes. Taking number nine was a big opportunity for me and I’m happy to take on the pressure that comes with it.”
Barney was playing university football in Scotland just two-and-a-half years ago, and, by his own admission, he needed to be well-managed coming into an elite environment.
“I’m probably the most impatient person you’ll meet," he admitted, "so the gaffer has had to tell me to calm down and put less pressure on myself to score every week because that’s not how football works.
“He's been really good with me in terms of talking to me, letting me know where I’m at, what I need to improve on, one-on-one meetings, and now I’m starting to bring that end product we wanted to see.
“He’s not told me a single lie since I came here. He says it how it is and that’s what players need. You don’t need people fabricating stuff or promising you things they aren’t going to do, and he’s been perfect for that.
"He's been building up my minutes and I was fortunate to be given my chance against Wrexham, which I played my part in and we won, and then the win on Saturday was an incredible experience.
"Now we have a couple of away matches which will be different tests, but we’re not treating any opposition any differently to another. We always aim to win and always go into games believing we can, so in that sense it doesn’t matter who we’re playing."
