Ross Stewart | I want to bring goals and get the fans excited
Ross Stewart hopes his experience and goalscoring record can make him a real asset on and off the pitch after completing his move to Swansea City.
The 30-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the Swans and will wear the number 31 shirt, adding further competition to Vitor Matos’ forward options ahead of the new Championship season.
Stewart arrives in SA1 with a wealth of experience at Championship and international level, having earned four caps for Scotland and been part of his country’s squad at this summer’s World Cup.
The forward enjoyed a productive campaign with Southampton last term, scoring 11 goals and providing two assists, including goals in the Saints’ run to the FA Cup semi-finals.
And now, after completing his move to Swansea, the proven Championship goalscorer is relishing the opportunity for a fresh start.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be here,” he said.
“It’s been a long couple of days, getting down here and getting everything sorted, but that’s all done now. I’m just very excited for the football ahead, getting down here and for the season to come.
“I knew about the interest quite early, but it wasn’t until probably the last week or two where I was in a position where I wanted to make my decision.
“But just speaking with Jay [Lefevre] and Ben [Stevens] and obviously the gaffer, they just sold it to me.
“I thought it was an opportunity for a fresh start for me in Swansea. They were certainly the team that made the biggest impression on me and tried to get me to sign.
“Speaking to them, it just felt like a really good fit and they made the decision quite easy.”
Stewart has built his career around leading the line, and he believes his traditional centre-forward qualities can give the Swans another dimension in attack.
The Irvine-born striker began his career with Ardeer Thistle and Kilwinning Rangers before joining the senior ranks Albion Rovers in 2016, with spells at St Mirren, Alloa Athletic and Ross County following
He helped Ross County win the Scottish Championship and Scottish Challenge Cup in 2018-19 before joining Sunderland in 2021, where he scored 40 goals in 81 appearances and helped the Black Cats win the EFL Trophy and earn promotion to the Championship.
With his form earning a move to Southampton in 2023, who he subsequently helped to promotion to the Premier League, he now hopes to bring that experience to Swansea.
“Hopefully, I can bring a lot of goals, bring elements of build-up play and just something that gets the fans excited," he said.
“It’s going to be a tough division, and hopefully I can find the form that I found towards the end of last season and carry that on in a Swansea shirt, and we can have a really, really good season ahead.
“I like to think I can lead the line well and in different types of ways. Hopefully, I can be versatile for what the gaffer looks for.
“Turning 30 a few weeks ago, I can hopefully bring that experience to the team. There's a lot of talented young players in the group, so hopefully I can bring that kind of leadership to the boys and help point things out as the season goes on.
“I’ll help the team ultimately in whatever way I can.”
Having experienced promotions with Sunderland and Southampton, Stewart knows what it takes to compete and succeed in the EFL.
And he believes a strong dressing room, collective ambition and the ability to build momentum will be key if Swansea are to mount a challenge.
“You’ve obviously got to have a good dressing room,” he declared.
“You’ve got to be driven, and you’ve got to be hungry to go and win every game.
“Everybody knows what the Championship is like. It’s tough physically as well as mentally, and you’ve just got to try and pick up as many points as you can and win as many games as you can.
“Momentum is a big thing, amongst other things. You’ve just got to go and enjoy how tough it is in a way, and be up there fighting, and that gives yourself a chance.”
Stewart’s career has not been without its challenges itself, with injuries providing some particularly difficult periods during his time at Southampton.
But he believes those experiences have helped shape him into the player and person he is today.
“Physically and mentally, you learn how tough injuries are,” he added.
“Up to that point, I’d never really experienced it, so it was new for me in terms of dealing with that as best I could.
“But coming through it, I think it’s definitely made me stronger. You learn so much about yourself in those periods, and one thing that I have learned from that is that the fire burns to come back and do as well as I can.”
Following his move to SA1, Stewart will now work with the Swans’ medical and performance staff as he builds towards full match fitness after his summer involvement with Scotland and subsequent post-World Cup break.
“I’ve had a good chat with the medical department in Swansea about what it would look like,” he continued.
“Obviously, I went through the World Cup, I had my time off, and then the last couple of weeks I’ve just kept myself in as good a place as I can.
“Obviously, you can’t replicate training sessions and what that asks of you. For me now, it’s just about getting in with the squad, getting my feet under me again in terms of the training sessions and the football.
“I shouldn’t be too far away from games, hopefully, and it won’t be too long until you see me out there.”