Greg Stewart: Crazy world at City enough to give him blues

While shocked by news that the manager who signed him had been sacked so unfairly, Greg Stewart was at first heartened by the identity of Gary Rowett's replacement at Birmingham City.

Greg Stewart dons his new colours yesterday after signing a loan deal at Aberdeen.

Stewart was confident Gianfranco Zola, of all people, would recognise his qualities. The Italian wrote the book when it comes to mercurial talents.

One of the greatest Chelsea players of all time, what Zola lacked in height he made up for in speed of thought and nimble-footed trickery.

Zola would surely prove sympathetic to Stewart’s struggles to adapt to the physical nature of English Championship football, preferring to focus instead on the forward’s ability to create and score goals from nothing.

Initially this was the case; Stewart, who joined Birmingham from Dundee the previous summer, started the first three games of Zola’s short reign. But an injury at the end of the year interrupted his progress and by the time he was available again, Birmingham were in dire straits.

When Rowett was sacked last December the St Andrews side were just three points off a play-off place, now they were simply bidding to stay in the league.

The pressure seemed to start affecting Zola’s senses. Since he didn’t play wingers, preferring instead 3-5-2, he sought to turn Stewart into a left wing-back.

No wonder that after scoring six goals in Dundee’s opening three Betfair Cup games at the start of last season, Stewart is still waiting to open his Birmingham account. He made just 22 appearances for the club, the majority from the bench.

Whether he will ever score a goal for Birmingham is now in question. Stewart has returned to Scotland after signing a one-year loan deal with Aberdeen and doesn’t want to look too far ahead.

The 27 year-old yesterday stressed he is concerned only with what he do can contribute for Aberdeen, for whom he will make his European debut. He cannot afford to waste more time wondering whether the move will improve his long-term prospects at Birmingham.

But he is clearly puzzled by his brief experience of the Championship in England. With Harry Redknapp replacing Zola at the tail-end of the season, Stewart played for three different managers in one season – four if you count Paul Hartley at Dundee.

It’s not a place where anyone is given time to settle, so he can understand why Derek McInnes started to edge back out the Sunderland door after initial talks about taking over as manager.

Stewart is among those happy at McInnes’ decision, since it meant being given the chance to re-ignite his career at Aberdeen.

“He (McInnes) tried to sign me last summer but he couldn’t quite agree a deal with Dundee and it wasn’t quite to be,” explained Stewart, a twice nominated Scottish footballer of the year. “I went down south and it didn’t work out too well.

“It’s always good when someone keeps in contact and you get that wanted feeling. I have always spoken to Derek and I am looking forward to working for him.”

McInnes won’t be playing Stewart at left wing-back, that’s certain.

“As with Greg Tansey, I don’t always get players when I want them but I get them in the end,” said a satisfied Aberdeen manager yesterday. “When Greg (Stewart) played against us, he was always someone I felt we had to be careful of.

“He brought a lot of quality to Dundee, with his assists and his goals, and that’s something I feel we will need.

“We need goals from other areas of the pitch, as well as from Adam Rooney in the middle,” McInnes added. “He had a difficult time at Birmingham. He had three managers last season and that couldn’t have been easy for him. But he’s come to a place now where he can concentrate on just being him, and playing football.”

You can tell this appeals to Stewart after a madcap ten months at Birmingham. Not only was Rowett sacked the morning after a win, against Ipswich Town, the side were seventh in the league at the time. No wonder McInnes thought again about joining up at Sunderland, a club with a similar reputation for instability. Such unpredictability makes for a noxious mix when combined with the desperate need to return to the Premier League.

“We won the game the night before at home to Ipswich and were three points off third and we went into training the following morning and he (Rowett) was sacked,” recounted Stewart. “We were like: ‘What’s going on here?’ It’s a crazy world.”

“He (McInnes) could have done well in England and still be out of a job. We were doing well at Birmingham and were in the play-offs when the manager was sacked.”

But Stewart sounds far from disillusioned with life. He is desperate to remind Aberdeen fans what he can do after shining against the Pittodrie side for Dundee.

“You get ups and downs in football and, hopefully, I can learn from that and show what I’ve got,” he said. “I’ve not even thought beyond this season.

“I just want to get fit, get games, get my match sharpness back and prove a point to myself because last season was so disappointing.”