Rod Stewart’s son to play ice-hockey for GB

The teenage son of rock star Rod Stewart has been cleared to play ice hockey for Great Britain.

Liam Stewart is regarded as one of the fast-moving sport’s most promising prospects, and enjoyed rich goalscoring form for his youth side last season.

The 17-year-old, whose mother is former supermodel Rachel Hunter, was brought up in California, but was born in London and has a British passport.

Now, after months of negotiations between British team officials and the sport’s governing body, he is set to embark on an Atlantic Crossing of his own to turn out for his homeland at under-18 level.

Promoters of the game north of the Border said fans will cheer on the youngster as one of their own, given that Scotland does not have its own national ice hockey team, and forecast a surge in interest in the game as a result.

Stewart, who plays as a centre, took up the sport five years ago and has impressed his coaches in the United States with his progress to date.

He scored 24 goals for the under-16 team of the LA Kings last season, and currently plies his trade for the Spokane Chiefs, based in the state of Washington. The team plays in the Western Hockey League, one of the highest junior set-ups in North America, and hopes are high that Stewart – whose grandfather, Robert, came from Leith – can go on to grace the National Hockey League, regarded as the sport’s grandest stage.

Stewart expressed delight that he is now eligible for Great Britain and said that his father would be ecstatic.

“I’m very proud to be cleared to play for the country I was born in,” he said.

“I know my dad would be especially proud, so it was exciting to hear it was approved. It’s an honour as I consider Great Britain to be one of my homes.”

It is hoped that Stewart will make his competitive debut for Team GB next spring at the world championships in Holland.

His inclusion in the squad would mark a successful conclusion to months of negotiations by Ice Hockey UK and the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Mark Beggs, head coach of the British under-18s team, said: “It’s great news we have been able to secure the approval from the IIHF that makes Liam eligible for Great Britain.

“As head coach, you need to be aware of every single player who can play for the country and do in-depth scouting and request feedback to make sure they fit within the team.”

The youngster’s rise to prominence in his chosen sport mirrors the promising football career his father enjoyed prior to finding worldwide fame as a singer.

Liam’s father signed for Brentford as an apprentice in 1961, a decade before his first number one hit with Maggie May.

Though his time at the London club was short-lived – he lasted just three weeks – he remains an avid Celtic and Scotland supporter, and boasts his own full-size football pitch at his home in Essex.

Eamon Convery, chairman of Ice Hockey UK, said that Stewart’s profile would put a spotlight on the sport in Britain, but expressed confidence the teenager has the ability to succeed in his own right.

He said: “Liam Stewart is a talented player, and we are thrilled to have him available for GB selection.

“Being Rod Stewart’s son will no doubt mean huge interest in his career, but I am sure Liam is keen to carve a path of his own.”

Jim Anderson, chairman of Scottish Ice Hockey, said: “Scotland does not have its own national team outwith the Great Britain team as the IIHF criteria states a team must be in a sovereign state, so Liam will be representing Scotland as well as Great Britain.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing him play in the UK.”