West Brom striker backed by colleague to be hit due to impressive traits

Stewart, 22, was a long-term pursuit of Albion’s from the winter and the club sealed the £1.2million deal to bring him from Falkirk in Scotland, ahead of competitors, in June.

Stewart’s remarkable professional career has sky-rocketed over 18 months or so, since a move from university football - the eighth tier of the Scottish game - to Falkirk. He netted as a substitute in the friendly win over Bromley in Portugal and was part of the more youthful side that lost to Notts County as the Baggies played two friendlies last Saturday.

The London-born striker has mixed with some of the younger members of Albion’s squad and academy graduate Harry Whitwell, who shone against Shrewsbury last weekend, likes what he has seen of Stewart.

“I think he's a finisher,” Whitwell told the Express & Star. “If you give him a chance in the box, I think he'll take it.

“He was telling me that most of his goals at Falkirk were all within the six-yard box. I think he's got that nose for where the goal is.

“He's physical, he's always running the most in training and stuff like that. He puts himself about, he's a bit of a physical presence. He's 6t 2ins or 3ins, he’s tall.

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“So I think he'll be a physical kind of bit of a poacher who knows where the goal is.

“I think he’ll do well. He’s got the character to do well.”

Baggies prospect Whitwell, meanwhile, has kicked on during pre-season after making progress last season. He spent the first half of the campaign on a fine loan.

The attacking midfielder has impressed boss James Morrison and another loan move is set to follow later this summer.

Whitwell said of his displays: “From the first two pre-season games, I feel like I’d been getting in good areas, but then that final pass has maybe been behind the man.

“If he was going to the front post, maybe I've gone to cut it back. Just that final little bit.

“So (against Shrewsbury) I took the goal well. I had a chance where I drove inside and tried to cross, it got cut out, but just little bits like that, trying to deliver the ball with quality.

“As an attacking player like myself, you get paid to score goals and create goals. That is the aim of football. It’s about keep trying to get that in my game.”