Sunderland AFC remain the winners over Southampton with £8m agreement | OneFootball

Southampton are yet to see what Sunderland saw from Ross Stewart after the £8m deal between the two clubs

Following their reintroduction to the Championship, Southampton splashed the cash on Sunderland's star striker Ross Stewart on deadline day.

While his record of 40 goals in 81 Mackem matches made Ayrshire-born Stewart an exciting arrival on paper, he had already been out for over eight months recovering from ACL surgery so the £8 million meal was something of a risk.

Signing in September 2023, the two-time Scottish international has seen less than 200 minutes of first-team football since his St. Mary's arrival.

Stewart was adored on Wearside, and without his goals, it is entirely possible they would still be a League One club today. However, the events that have unfortunately transpired suggest that the Black Cats cashed in on their talisman at the perfect time.

Ross Stewart's injury woes

Stewart finally made his Saints debut on November 11th 2023 in an 83rd-minute cameo against West Bromwich Albion.

Having made a similar substitute appearance the following match, it appeared as though he was feeling his way into Russell Martin's starting XI. However, Stewart was mysteriously missing from the matchday squad four days later.

It was initially reported to be a setback with his injury recovery but it had transpired that Stewart had developed a hamstring issue after having during his aforementioned second run out.

By Christmas time, with supporters crying for transparency regarding his continued absence, Martin came out to say that his new striker would be out for the remainder of the season, again.

A heartbreaking blow for Stewart, whose seemingly perpetual in the game had now been stunted by 18 months.

He would return to fitness ahead of schedule, just in time for Saints' play-off run, though high stakes allowed the former League One player of the year for just 18 minutes in the semi-final.

The South Coast club, of course, did just fine without his services, as a Wembley win over Leeds United saw them return to the Premier League, an inadvertent success for the serially sidelined Stewart.

The current season has been much of the same. After missing all of Southampton's pre-season matches, Stewart made a string of four consecutive appearances starting in September, only to once again become sidelined.

The injury, sustained at Arsenal, was described by Martin as "not a long-term injury" has seen their number 11 absent since.

Despite enjoying his first taste of top-flight football, Stewart is yet to start for his new side, and at this point, may never.

Putting the doom and gloom to one side, the football world deeply hopes that Stewart can revive the sparkling form that saw him become so beloved at the Stadium of Light.

Joining from SPL side Ross County in January 2021, he arrived with little fanfare, having scored just one non-penalty goal all season, against second-tier Arbroath.

Despite scoring on his debut, a bizarre looping header against Accrington Stanley, it would be a quiet start to life south of the border, much as expected.

It was 2021-22, his first full season in the North East, that would cement his name in Black Cats folklore, as his 26 goals, including the second in a play-off final win, saw Sunderland finally return to the Championship at the fourth time of asking.

His stature, athletic prowess and deadly finishing earned him the nickname 'Loch Ness Drogba', a reputation that continued into the second tier, as he quickly made it into double figures before his untimely ACL injury.

It's a funny old game. The name Ross Stewart is a name that will always bring a smile to the faces of Sunderland fans, while on the South Coast, you might be met with a grimace. The desperately unfortunate series of events has, more by luck than judgment, made the timing of Stewart's sale one of the best pieces of business in the club's history.

The past few years have been deeply frustrating for the former St. Mirren man, who may never realise his true potential. However, there is still hope for Stewart, who may one day return to his best, if his body allows him.