West Brom can give QPR new £1.3m transfer regret | OneFootball

New West Brom frontman Barney Stewart was once on the books at QPR before he shot to stardom at Falkirk

The 22-year-old is well-regarded as one of the hottest striker prospects in Scotland, following a breakout year in 2025/26, ending with him being awarded the Young Player of the Year award by the Scottish Football Writers' Association.

Stewart netted 18 times in 33 appearances last season. A red-hot first half of the campaign on loan at Dunfermiline Athletic saw him recalled by Falkirk and thrown into the action in the SPL, where he scored eight in 14 outings, including a hat trick against Hibernian.

Interest was rife in the striker in the wake of the season's end, and West Brom have been the side to secure his services for £1.3 million.

It marks the next step in what has been a remarkable, yet unconventional rise for Stewart through football, which included a stint in the academy of a different Championship club.

Barney Stewart spent time at QPR as a teenager

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Stewart's route to professional football, let alone the Championship, has been peculiar to say the least. This time two years ago, the 22-year-old wasn't even a professional player, playing amateur football in the Scottish seventh tier at Heriot Watt University while studying for a sports science degree.

Falkirk spotted him and handed him a professional deal in October 2024, ensuring he'd have a career in football, despite also having routes in tennis and representing London in Gaelic football, too.

But, amidst his time playing Gaelic football, he was training in the English game, too, at QPR.

"It's [Gaelic football] one of my favourite sports. Football was always in the background — I was at QPR when I was 14 to 16 — then there was rugby," he said in an interview in 2025, months after making his professional debut for Falkirk.

After training in numerous different sports, he's seemed to carve a good career in football through the early stages, and has represented Scotland at under-21 level four times, with a view of making his senior debut in the not-so-distant future.

QPR could have major transfer envy if Barney Stewart hits the ground running at West Brom

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There's always the worry that comes when releasing academy players that they may come back to haunt you one day, and QPR will have those fears when Stewart lines up against them next season for West Brom.

At the time, six years ago, there wouldn't have been many at Loftus Road touting the Scotsman for big things, especially given his commitments to other sports at the time, too.

However, there's understandably a lot of excitement surrounding the former Hoops academy star, as he'll be tasked with leading the line for a Baggies side who are looking to put the disappointment of last season behind them and return to being one of the premiere sides in the Championship.

They, like QPR, will have their sights set on perhaps breaking into the reformed play-offs next season, so Stewart could be the difference-maker for West Brom, simultaneously stopping his former club from achieving their goals, too.

With the likes of Rumarn Burrell and Richard Kone set to lead the line for Julien Stephan next season, they'll be hoping that they won't be crying out for a top goal-getter, as last summer's arrivals take another step in their development.