MAKING the step up from the Championship to the top flight is a big ask for many players. The gulf in quality between the top two divisions in Scotland can be daunting for some, while others are able to take to their new surroundings like a duck out of water.
Footballers who fall into the latter camp will always catch the eye. Take Motherwell's Liam Polworth, for example. Okay, he had previously played in the top flight for Inverness but since swapping the Highlands for Lanarkshire the central midfielder's transition has been seemingly effortless.
In the north of Scotland, there is another player who has made significant progress this season; so much so, in fact, that a host of English Championship sides are said to be mulling over a bid following an excellent start to life in the Premiership.
Ross County may not share as many headlines as some other clubs in Scotland, but one man who surely deserves his fair share of praise is Ross Stewart. The 23-year-old striker, playing top-flight football for the first time in his career, is quietly steering County away from the relegation zone and it is not hyperbolic to suggest that without him, the Staggies would be in a far sorrier state than they currently are.
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Ross County look like a fairly safe bet to beat the drop at this stage of the season and this is in large part due to the goalscoring exploits of Stewart. Of the 20 goals that County have scored in the league this season, Stewart has provided seven and set up an additional two. Similarly to Livingston's Stevie Lawless, there is an argument to be made that there are few Premiership players who are so vital to their side's chances of victory.
Seven goals in 16 Premiership appearances is a fine tally that just about any striker would be proud of, never mind a forward playing for Ross County in his debut Premiership season. And once Stewart's goals in the League Cup are taken into account - the former St Mirren prospect scored four in five games - we can see why the 23-year-old has reportedly been gaining admirers south of the border.
Perhaps what is most impressive, though, are the chances that Stewart has made a habit of converting for his team this campaign. Despite having seven Premiership strikes to his name, Stewart has an expected goals (xG) of just 3.18. Essentially, this means that the goals that Stewart has been scoring this season are all relatively low-probability efforts and as such, he can be counted amongst the Premierhip's deadliest marksmen.
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In order to understand the true significance of this statistic, it is worth pointing out that not a single Premiership player has as large a difference between their xG and goals scored as Stewart (3.82) currently does. Rangers' veteran striker Jermain Defoe's xG differential (3.79) is marginally lower than Stewart's but no other even comes close.
It is this propensity for scoring difficult chances that makes Stewart such a promising prospect - and pays testament to his seamless transition from a Championship player to a Premiership regular. And when we examine Stewart's stats a little further, we can see just how efficient Stewart is in front of goal.
The graphic above details the shot accuracy of each Premiership player to have scored a minimum of five goals this season and as we can see, Stewart is one of the league leaders in this metric. More than half of the Ross County forward's shots (56%) are on target; that's a better rate than Alfredo Morelos (53%), Odsonne Edouard (43.9%) or Sam Cosgrove (46.7%).
It's this ruthlessness in front of goal that makes Stewart such a dangerous opponent, as his slightly unorthodox playing style. At 6'2", his build is that of a typical target man yet no-one appears to have told the County striker.
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As the above heat map makes clear, Stewart spends the majority of his time on the pitch on either flank as opposed to in the opposition area. Given his stature, this is slightly unusual but not unheard of. Comparisons (flattering ones, admittedly) can be drawn between Stewart's style of play and Croatian striker Mario Manzukic's time at Bayern Munich: both are typical centre-forwards that play in such a manner, but do so on the flanks. Balls in towards the back post are greedily mopped up by the two forwards, whose physicality is utilised surprisingly well in this unconvential role.
While it is safe to assume that Stewart will not be pitching up in Bavaria anytime soon, the 23-year-old deserves plaudits for the manner in which he has made the step up to Scotland's top flight. Ross County would certainly be far worse off without him and if he continues his eye-catching form, it will not be long until Stewart leaves the Highlands in search of pastures new.
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