Ross Stewart ranks alongside the best strikers Alex Neil has worked with in his managerial career, according to the Sunderland boss. Scot Stewart made a huge impact last season in his first full campaign in English football, scoring 26 goals to power the Black Cats to a play-off place and ultimately promotion from League One.
And the 26-year-old signing from Ross County has taken the step up to the Championship in his stride, scoring three goals in his first five outings to help Sunderland get off to a positive start in the second tier. Neil recently described Stewart as an 'all-round number nine', pointing out the improvement in his game.
But after watching Stewart score again in Saturday's win at Stoke City, Neil said that the frontman could stand comparison with any striker that he has worked with in almost a decade in management - a list that includes the likes of the much-travelled Cameron Jerome, Leeds United's Patrick Bamford, former Sunderland men Lewis Grabban and Kyle Lafferty, West Brom's Callum Robinson and Preston's Jordan Hugill. "I've had some really, really, good strikers over the years in the teams I have had, and Ross is right up there with any of them," said Neil.
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"He's pretty much a complete striker in that he can run, he can take it in, he can score a goal, he's good in the air. When you look at all the facets of a striker, there's normally always one that [a player] isn't particularly good at.
"If you've got a big targetman, for example, often they are not very mobile; if you've got someone who's quick, they struggle to take the ball in and link the game. But I think that Ross has got all the attributes that you need to be a top striker."
Stewart has formed a productive partnership with on-loan Everton striker Ellis Simms in the early part of the season, with Simms having also scored three goals so far. And Neil believes that the 3-4-1-2 system he has played to accommodate the duo has got the best out of them, and out of his other starters.
He said: "They work well together. Ellis ties up defenders to create space for Ross. There are couple of lads who are unfortunate because they are not getting much gametime at the moment because of the shape we're playing, but for the vast majority of those who are on the pitch, the shape has really suited them and they are flourishing and doing really well."
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