The remarkable 18-month rise of new West Brom signing Barney Stewart

It has been a whirlwind 18 months for new West Brom signing Barney Stewart, who made waves in Scotland in 2026.

Stewart only made his professional debut for Falkirk in the Scottish Championship in January last year, but has wasted little time making a name for himself.

He did initially have to bide his time, as he was only used sparingly during Falirk’s promotion-winning campaign in 2025.

His rise was interrupted further when he suffered a broken metatarsal in the close-season, but he joined local rivals Dunfermline Athletic following his recovery.

The move caused discontent among the two rival fan bases but Stewart quickly silenced those complaints during a goal-laden loan.

The 22-year-old scored eight goals in 12 games for Neil Lennon’s outfit in the second-tier before returning to Falkirk with a spring in his step.

His confidence had also been boosted by a pair of substitute appearances for Scotland under-21s against Gibraltar and Bulgaria in November.

Stewart netted his first professional hat-trick in a 4-1 victory against Hibernian in January and bagged a brace in a 5-1 triumph over Kilmarnock the following month.

That was followed up by further strikes against Aberdeen, St Mirren and Motherwell - while his goal scoring exploits earned him the Scottish Football Writers’ Young Player of the Season award.

In total, Stewart scored 10 goals and set-up two more in 21 games for Falkirk - plundering 18 for both Falkirk and Dunfermline combined last term.

Further under-21 caps against Czech Republic and Portugal followed in March and Stewart looks set to continue his upward trajectory with a number of clubs - including Albion - linked with his signature.

The 6ft 2in striker has enjoyed a remarkable rise, and a very unusual journey into the professional ranks.

Born in London, Stewart was a sporting obsessive during his childhood - playing Gaelic football, tennis and rugby alongside football.

It was in the latter that he excelled the most though and he spent two years on the books at Queens Park Rangers.

After departing the London club at the age of 16, Stewart decided to focus on his studies and moved to Scotland where both of his parents hail from.

Stewart studied Sport and Exercise Science at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and also hit the goal-scoring trail for their University team.

The young striker netted 85 goals across both East of Scotland and BUCS Leagues and his form soon attracted admiring glances from professional clubs.

Falkirk have since recognised that potential and tied him down to a new deal in January, which extended his stay until 2028 (including an option year).

However, West Brom have now swooped for him in a £1.3million deal that sees him move south to The Hawthorns.