Heckingbottom on Stewart

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00:00I don't mention Stuart before, is he in your thinking?

00:02Do you think he's ready for the Championship?

00:04Has he got a lot of learning to do? Where do you think he's at?

00:09I've been impressed with how he's responded because

00:13he sort of missed out on a loan opportunity,

00:15which I thought would have been really good for him.

00:17But the fact we put him in the squad,

00:20I think you've seen, if I don't think there's an opportunity for that, I won't.

00:24We had a game two weeks ago where we were a man down on the bench

00:28because we had an illness.

00:31Now, you'd usually take an extra body, but in that instance,

00:34I thought the young lads staying behind were better off getting a game here

00:37than being on a bench where there would always be someone to go on the pitch

00:42instead of him. Does that make sense?

00:44But we took later in the week and when we had a game,

00:46he could have been preparing for the game because if we did have an illness,

00:49especially at the top end, he'd have been on the bench

00:51and chances are he would have gone on the pitch. Does that make sense?

00:53So he's probably pushed himself closer than where he was

00:56and that's reflected in him being picked in the squad.

01:00So, yes, he's trained well again today.

01:03Just the same as any other player, it's when you get those opportunities,

01:06you have to take them.

01:07Did the loan not happen for a few reasons? Did he not fancy it?

01:10Yes, just different reasons, yes.

01:12How tough is it to be a number nine in the Championship?

01:15I think his finishing was a big reason he came,

01:18but is there so much more you've got to do?

01:21Oh, yes, you've got to impact the game.

01:23You've got to help your team win.

01:25Listen, if you're a number nine who doesn't contribute anything to your team

01:30other than goals, you've got to score a hell of a lot of goals.

01:33So, yes, I don't think there's any players who get carried now in football.

01:38Not in successful winning teams.

01:40No-one gets carried for a different reason.

01:43You've always got to contribute every single game, with the ball, without the ball.

01:47And the moment that you're not and you start weighing scales

01:51comes where you're taking more away from your team than you're giving

01:53and you can't play.

01:54So, yes, I don't think it's as simple as just if you're number nine,

01:59we're leaving the team hoping that you'll score.

02:01You either need to be scoring every week or contributing with and without the ball for your team.