Barney Stewart's obsessive West Brom habit proves he was right man for James Morrison

Barney Stewart will be hoping to fire West Bromwich Albion all the way to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old forward arrived from Falkirk for James Morrison this summer, looking to replace the departed Josh Maja and Daryl Dike.

Now, a new admission from the Scotsman has revealed the type of man that the Baggies boss has signed.

The former Falkirk forward was already fully invested in life at The Hawthorns long before his move was confirmed.

For Morrison, that will undoubtedly delight him as he looks to improve on the Baggies' 21st-place finish.

And in a summer that has seen plenty of change, Stewart's admission over an obsessive habit could prove just as important as what he delivers on the pitch.

Why Barney Stewart was already invested in West Brom before transfer

Football managers want players in their squad who have fully engrossed themselves in their plans.

And Stewart may be the pinnacle of that mentality.

In an interview with the Express and Star, Stewart has admitted that even before a transfer was agreed, he already had one eye on The Hawthorns.

In February, the striker was made aware West Brom were interested in him, and that was already enough for him to want the move.

He stated: "I turned my app notifications on for the Albion as soon as I found out.”

Stewart also shared that once he learned of the interest, that was it for him and that he had "tunnel vision" over what was next.

That obsessive habit of keeping up with a club that you had not yet signed for showcases the passion and dedication he already had for West Brom.

He already knows what is expected of players who put the West Brom shirt on and that can only be a positive.

West Brom News has previously commented on the excitement that Stewart's first interview at The Hawthorns brought, but this will further increase that.

Why Stewart simply gets the Albion

On top of his admission to routinely following West Brom through the second half of last season, Stewart has also proved he gets the Baggies.

The striker has labelled the B71 side as a "big club" and said that he knew they would stay up in the Championship in order to "push for the Premier League."

Now, Stewart could be the man who leads that charge and bring West Brom back to where he knows they belong.

But while the mentality proves Morrison has signed the right character, he must now showcase that on the pitch in the 2026-2027 season.