Turning professional at 20 is fairly late for a footballer, but Barney Stewart has already emerged as the Scottish Premiership's hottest striker just 15 months into his senior career.
Published March 25, 2026 • Source: bbc.com
By Brian McLauchlin & Andy Campbell BBC Sport Scotland
Turning professional at 20 is fairly late for a footballer, but Barney Stewart has already emerged as the Scottish Premiership's hottest striker just 15 months into his senior career.
Not that it was instant success. It took three months after signing for Falkirk from Heriot Watt University for Stewart to notch his first senior goal - and he was still not a regular starter by the time he finished the season with two in 17 appearances as John McGlynn's side won the Scottish Championship title.
But, since spending the first half of this season back in the second tier on loan to Dunfermline Athletic, he appears determined to make up for lost time.
Eight goals in 12 games for the Pars persuaded McGlynn to recall Stewart during the January transfer window, nine more in 15 games for his parent club have followed and on Friday he is expected to make his third appearance for Scotland Under-21s.
After such a meteoric rise, a place in the senior squad is surely the ambition for Stewart, with some already having touted him for promotion.
"In the long-term, yes," he said. "I would never have said that in the summer at the start of this season.
"I don't think I'd be anywhere near the Scotland team this season. I've always set my goals quite high and maybe wildly ambitious, but I've always just thought like that, because if you're not aiming for the top, then what's the point in trying?"
'Falkirk was perfect for me'
It may be fanciful to suggest Stewart could squeeze into the senior squad for this summer's World Cup.
Especially with Lawrence Shankland back fit for Premiership leaders Heart of Midlothian, Che Adams operating in Serie A for Torino, while Lyndon Dykes, George Hirst and the recalled Tommy Conway play regularly in England's second tier.
However, the inclusion of Findlay Curtis for warm-up friendlies against Japan and Ivory Coast, albeit the 19-year-old on loan to Kilmarnock from Rangers is filling a perceived gap on the wing, shows head coach Steve Clarke at times can belie his conservative reputation by pulling a rabbit out the hat.
Indeed, assistant Steven Naismith said as much on Tuesday as he suggested fringe players still have time to "stake their claim" no matter where they are playing.
Stewart has already played twice for Scotland Under-21s and a first goal for Scot Gemmill's side in their opening European Championship qualifiers with Czech Republic on Friday and Portugal next Tuesday would be timely.
Meanwhile, at club level he has targeted a top-half finish for sixth-placed Falkirk - and Scottish Cup glory, with his former Dunfermline team-mates in semi-final opposition on 18 April.
"It's almost deluded, but I've always been quite ambitious," he said.
"I've always backed myself. It's just about the right opportunity and I think Falkirk was perfect for me."
McGlynn's "been absolutely great for me - patient, he knows the game inside and out".
Stewart is just aiming to "keep my head down" and "to perform for Falkirk", suggesting: "It doesn't really make a difference where my performance gets me."
'He'll go for big money this summer'
Where it has got him so far is seven goals and two assists since marking his return from loan with a hat-trick against Hibernian on 24 January.
That is more than goal involvements than any other player in the Premiership during that spell - and more goals than any other Falkirk player overall despite having missed the first half of the season.
While Falkirk failed to secure the point that would have sealed a top-six finish on Saturday thanks to a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to St Mirren, Stewart's opening goal took his personal tally to five in his last four games - and his total to 17 in 27 outings this season.
As former Scotland forward Naismith said a few weeks back on Sportscene: "Everyone's talking about his story - and it's great.
"He's fought and fought and fought to get his chance at the professional game and he's taken it.
"The biggest compliment I can pay him is, every goal he scores, every time the ball's wider in the final third, he's in the box."
Fellow Sportscene pundit Stephen Craigan reckons Stewart "will go for big money in the summer" transfer window.
"His all-round game has been top-notch," the former Motherwell and Northern Ireland centre-half said.
"He's a real poacher, he's only 21 years of age and he puts himself between the goals and searches out chances.
"The number of goals he taps in - he's always alert. You're not always in the right place by luck. He has that knack.
"There's probably other people ahead of him, but if you're wanting someone raw, who has a goal in them and you're Scotland manager, you have a look at him."
Yet Stewart, who grew up in London but has Scottish parents, admits that "it never fell for me in England in terms of the right opportunity to go professional".
"I've looked at players playing professional football and I've always said 'I could do that' if I just get given the right platform or the right opportunity," he said.
"In Scotland, people have clearly been willing to look down the ranks, especially obviously John McGlynn, who was willing to take a small bit of a risk to pick me up."
While studying Sports Science at Heriot-Watt - a degree course he intends to finish at some point - Stewart recalls being star-struck by Hearts' first team players, who train at the adjacent Oriam on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
"I actually have a photo with Lawrence Shankland and guys like that," he added. "I'm a Chelsea fan, but my dad's a big Jambo, so he was like 'make sure you get a selfie with Lawrence'. Now I'm on the same pitch as him, playing against him, it's surreal."