Mohun Bagan Super Giant was struggling to get going after three games in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season, with four points marking its worst start.
However, Greg Stewart turned the tide, assisting twice and scoring once as the Mariners defeated Mohammedan Sporting 3-0 in the first Kolkata derby of the ISL season.
He followed up this performance with a Player of the Match display against East Bengal, creating three chances, two of which resulted in goals.
Stewart, a two-time ISL Shield winner with two different teams, joined Mohun Bagan this summer and appears to have cemented his position as an inside forward in the squad.
He is fourth on the all-time list of most assists in the ISL, with 24 across three seasons.
There was a time, however, when the Scotsman considered giving up football.
“When you grow up playing on the streets of Scotland, then go into a team and reach a good level, and then the rejection at Hearts (happens),” Stewart told Sportstar in an exclusive interview. Hearts, or Heart of Midlothian Football Club, is a football club in Scotland.
“It hurt me a lot. I was actually at Rangers before Hearts and got released by Rangers at 14 and by Hearts at 16. At that point, I thought this game was not for me.”
Stewart, who grew up idolising Rangers legends Paul Gascoigne and Ally McCoist, chose to step away from the game temporarily.
He started working full-time at the Grangemouth Oil Refinery, practising twice a week and hoping that someday, he might get a shot at redemption.
“It was a great learning curve, something I don’t want to go back to,” Stewart laughed.
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“I just went back and played with my mates, just a local team. Then I joined a really good amateur team before Cowdenbeath (a semi-professional side) signed me up when I was 19. So, between 16 and 19, I could have just walked away. But because I love the game so much, I was never obviously going to give up,” he added.
Way to the top
Stewart’s stint at Cowdenbeath (40 goals, 19 assists) attracted interest from Scottish Premiership side Dundee United, which signed him ahead of the 2014-15 season.
“They (my family) were ecstatic. I gave up my day job to play full-time. So, all that hard work paid off, and the dream of playing football (professionally) became a reality,” he said.
“Steven was massive, coming in as a manager. He made me see a different side of football and made me realise and understand it from a coach’s perspective — the details he gave when he was on the training field were second to none,” Stewart said.
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“Steven was massive, coming in as a manager. He made me see a different side of football and made me realise and understand it from a coach’s perspective — the details he gave when he was on the training field were second to none,” Stewart said.
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Stewart contributed to 59 goals (32 goals, 27 assists) for Dundee before moving to Birmingham City, where he trained alongside a budding Jude Bellingham.
“The ability he had — it was just about him getting on the pitch. He wouldn’t care who he’s playing against. He would play as if he’s in a bout, or in a fight,” Stewart recalled.
“He was 15, and I think Manchester City was trying to sign him. They were trying to give him so much money, to afford a big house for his family.
But he turned it down because he was a Birmingham fan. He wanted to play for Birmingham before anything else.”
In 2019, Stewart returned to Rangers, the club that had released him as a boy. He helped the team win its first league title in 10 years, securing his first major silverware.
“I think whenever you get knocked down, don’t give up,” Stewart said.
The 34-year-old scored thrice and provided seven assists for the club. One of his touchstones there was Liverpool legend and then-Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard.
“Steven was massive, coming in as a manager. He made me see a different side of football and made me realise and understand it from a coach’s perspective — the details he gave when he was on the training field were second to none,” he said.
“He was a winner himself and had that desire. He would join (us at the) training ground, and you could see how good he was.”
Eyeing a hat-trick
Stewart is a force in league matches for ISL sides. In 76 games, he has only lost four.
“It’s good for (my) confidence and (can be) massive for the team if we can go on a winning run, so we gain confidence and believe in each other,” Stewart said.
However, his eyes are set on the ultimate measure of success in football — silverware. “I have won two (ISL Shield) titles, with Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City. Hopefully, I can make it three with Mohun Bagan,” he said.
Once rejected by Hearts, Stewart has learned to win many hearts over the years and continues to do so in India.
“I feel I have done well in my career. I’ve managed to support my family, which is always good. I still feel I’ve got plenty of years left in me. I still feel young. So, I’m going to play as long as possible until my legs give up,” he said.
