Shrewsbury Town boss Gavin Cowan’s honest view on Callum Stewart’s prospects

Shrewsbury Town boss Gavin Cowan believes striker Callum Stewart can forge a League Two career - but must develop a greater game understanding at the club.

Stewart has returned to Shrewsbury following a three-month loan at National League Kidderminster Harriers, of the division below.

The 24-year-old netted three times in 12 appearances for Harriers and played a role in their impressive FA Cup scalp of League One Doncaster, meaning he is cup-tied in the competition for Town.

Frontman Stewart has mostly been on the fringes since his transfer for an undisclosed fee from non-league Leamington in January 2025, and has struggled to make regular inroads on Shrewsbury's side, with just six starts in all competitions. The spell at Kiddy was a third loan after stints with Brackley and Aldershot.

Cowan revealed Stewart is set for the matchday squad against Micky Mellon's Oldham on Saturday and thinks there can be a future in the Football League for striker, but added a greater understanding of how Cowan's side look to play must continue to develop.

"Cally is back and trained really well this week, it's likely he'll go into the squad for Saturday," Cowan said.

"He's had a reasonably successful time over at Kidderminster, it's good to have him back smiling around the place.

"My opinion on Call's always been the same. I had him at Brackley and as a human being he's brilliant A great lad, you want him in every changing room, he's never been a moment's problem for me.

"And he's an extremely talented young man. I just feel Cally has missed out a bit on an academy upbringing.

"He does need structure, and the more he starts to understand our way of playing he'll be in. He's a talented young boy. He needs to bring more goals to his game, that's something he knows. In his Leamington days he was prolific.

"I do think he'll have a career in the game, and I do think he'll be a player in League Two.

"When that happens I'm not sure. I'd like it to start now. But I do think there's an element of a kid in the playground, who has got all the talent in the world but needs am element of structure."

Leamington-born Stewart's background was in part-time football, initially low down the pyramid at Coventry Sphinx before his hometown club, where he netted regularly for both.

He was a big hit at Aggborough and Harriers supporters are hopeful another deal can be struck with Town.

Stewart's contract at Croud Meadow runs until next summer, though there is an option for an extra 12 months.

"He's far more structured than when I came in in January and he's far more open and available for information," Cowan added. "It's not that he's not coachable. He's a great lad who wants to do well.

"But he needs that little understand around our game strategy is what we need from him. We've seen that in 11 months here.

"He really enjoyed Kidderminster and was complimentary about the manager and the club. He wants to be in the team and that's the challenge I've given to him.

"He just needs to understand our game. It's when the penny will drop. In the here and now he's someone we can use in and around our squad and create something in a game."