WEMBLEY WINNER CAN GET ME TO HAMPDEN
Black Cats ace Stewart eyes promotion – and Scotland slot
EXCLUSIVE BY SCOTT BURNS
ROSS STEWART hopes he can produce some Wembley heroics to put him in line for Scotland’s World Cup playoff at Hampden next month.
The big striker heads to the Twin Towers this afternoon looking to fire Sunderland past Wycombe Wanderers and into the Championship.
The 25-goal striker has been the Black Cats’ talisman and he’ll be hoping that remains the case in this League One play-off final.
Stewart not only wants to win promotion but to catch Steve Clarke as he aims to retain his place in the Scotland squad for next month’s World Cup showdown with Ukraine.
The frontman, who got his first call-up for the last squad against Poland and Austria, said: “It’s another game I need to try and do well in.
“Scotland is in the background with, potentially, some big games coming up.
“Hopefully, I can get the result and whatever happens after that (with regards a potential Scotland call-up) will happen.
“This play-off final’s probably the biggest in terms of the occasion and what is on the line. It’s going to be massive.
“These are the ones you look back on at the end of your career, the big play-off finals in front of big stadiums and crowds. From where I’ve come from it will be right up there as the most important game of my career – so far!”
Stewart scored for Albion Rovers at Hampden against Queen’s Park but joked claiming a goal at Wembley would by far and away eclipse that.
The former Ross County striker said: “I have scored at Hampden back in the day with Albion Rovers. It would be nice to try to add Wembley to the list of stadiums I’ve scored at.
“This game would be a lot bigger than the goal I got at Hampden but they all count.
“Hopefully I can add a Wembley goal this weekend but the most important thing is Sunderland get the result.”
Stewart was on the bench at Wembley for Sunderland when they lifted silverware last season but this afternoon will be completely different.
He said: “I was in the squad for the Papa John’s Trophy final last year. That was my first game back from injury after I had signed. I got on the bench but I never played any part.
“I got to see the stadium. That day was still during Covid and there were no fans, so Saturday will be a brand new experience.
“There is a real buzz around the city and the stadium. We can’t wait for it to come along. It’s been a while since we won the semi-final.”
The 25-year-old’s impressive form has had Rangers, Norwich and Brighton all trailing him, as well as a number of English Championship clubs.
He said: “I’d like to add a goal or two more but I’m happy with my return this season. I’d have taken 25 goals at the start.
“It would be great if I could get another goal or two and we could win promotion. That would be the icing on the cake for the season.
“Things couldn’t have gone much better with the goals and the Scotland call-up. If I could win promotion it would mean a lot and just cap things off.”
Stewart was the semi-final hero as his goal in the first leg sunk Sheffield Wednesday.
He said: “To score in a game like that was a massive moment for me. It was even bigger to get the result and then to go through in the second leg in the manner we did, so late on, we probably couldn’t have scripted it better.
“The talk when I came down was the club was too big to be in this division. Sunderland are a massive club and hopefully Saturday can be a step towards where they should be and that is the Premier League.”
Standing between them is a Wycombe who recently played in the Championship.
Stewart added: “They have a lot of experience and quality.
“We might be favourites but we are just concentrating on trying to win the game.”