West Brom moved quickly during the summer transfer window to complete their first deal, signing highly regarded frontman Barney Stewart from Falkirk.

The 22-year-old is regarded as one of Scotland’s most promising striker prospects, having had a breakout year in 2025/26 that culminated in him being named Young Player of the Year by the Scottish Football Writers’ Association.

Stewart scored 18 goals in 33 appearances last season. After a standout first half of the season on loan at Dunfermline Athletic, he was recalled by Falkirk and thrust into the SPL, where he scored eight goals in 14 appearances, including a hat trick against Hibernian.

Following the end of the season, there was a lot of interest in the striker, and West Brom was the team that signed him for £1.3 million.

It is the next step in Stewart’s amazing, albeit unique, rise through football, which has included a stay in a separate Championship club’s youth.

Barney Stewart attended QPR as a teenager.

Stewart’s path to professional football, let alone the Championship, has been unconventional to say the least. Two years ago, the 22-year-old was still playing amateur football in the Scottish seventh tier at Heriot Watt University while pursuing a sports science degree.

Falkirk discovered him and signed him to a professional contract in October 2024, assuring he’d have a football career despite also having tennis and Gaelic football possibilities.

In addition to Gaelic football, he also trained at QPR in England.Gaelic football is one of my favourite sports. Football was always in the background — I was at QPR from 14 to 16 — and then there was rugby,” he remarked in an interview in 2025, months after making his professional debut with Falkirk.

After practicing in a variety of sports, he appears to have carved out a promising career in football in its early stages, having represented Scotland at under-21 level four times and hoping to make his senior debut in the not-too-distant future.

QPR could have serious transfer envy if Barney Stewart hits the ground running at West Brom.

There’s always the dread that comes from releasing youth players that they may come back to haunt you one day, and QPR will have those fears when Stewart lines up against them next season for West Brom.

At the time, six years ago, there wouldn’t have been many at Loftus Road hailing the Scotsman for huge things, especially given his commitments to other sports at the time, too.

However, there is certainly a lot of enthusiasm about the former Hoops academy star, as he will be charged with leading the line for a Baggies side trying to put last season’s failure behind them and return to being one of the Championship’s top teams.

They, like QPR, will be looking to make the revamped play-offs next season, therefore Stewart may be the difference for West Brom while also preventing his previous team from accomplishing their aims.

With Rumarn Burrell and Richard Kone poised to head Julien Stephan’s line next season, they’ll be hoping they don’t need a top goal-scorer as last summer’s additions continue to grow.

But if Stewart hits the ground running at the Hawthorns, as many believe he will, those at Loftus Road may be left feeling frustrated that they let such a potential talent slide through their fingers.