Local boy makes good: Leamington's own Callum Stewart hopes to kick on after move to Shrewsbury Town

He started watching the Brakes play as a youngster growing up in the town, and after an initial spell there as a teenager, returned to the club last year from Coventry Sphinx and netted 37 goals in 74 appearances, helping them back to the National League North via the play-offs last season.

This year, his form in topping the goalscoring charts began to alert professional clubs to his quality, and it was Shrewsbury Town who ended up recruiting the 23-year-old on a two-and-a-half year deal.

And for Stewart, the chance to become a pro is one he’s thrilled to take.

He said: “Obviously it’s been hard to leave Leamington – the club has been in my life since I started watching football aged six or seven-years-old.

"They were my first ever club and the fact I’d watched them all my life helped me as I knew how they played and knew about the manager who of course is still there.”

Stewart added the long-serving boss Paul Holleran was a huge influence on his career, as well as in making the move to Shrewsbury go without a hitch.

He said: “I’ve got so much praise for him. He’s so good on a personal level and knows that when you’re part-time, there’s so much more outside football when it comes to things like family and work.

"He was always brilliant with me and took me me under his wing, wanting to help progress my career. He has a good track record of moving players on to higher levels so knows what he’s doing and when we knew there was interest in me he told me not to worry about anything and that he’d sort it all out. He wanted me to move higher and wouldn’t hold me back.

“It all happened quite quickly – there were talks with a couple of clubs, but I wasn’t part of those initially, then I did speak to both when official bids came in and Shrewsbury is a massive club I’d heard lots of good things about.

"It was all done quickly and hopefully the deal works well all round.”

Not only did the move itself happen quickly, but so too did Stewart’s involvement in the first team squad.

Barely 48 hours after the deal was done, he was named on the bench for the televised clash with local rivals Wrexham.

Stewart said: “It was an incredible experience, even though I didn’t get on the pitch. The manager [Gareth Ainsworth] was very open with me and said he’d give me an opportunity when he felt I was ready, and in the end I didn’t have much time to get nervous about it once I was told I was in the squad.

"The atmosphere was very different to what I’m used to, particularly given the fiery nature of the game, so it was great to be part of.”

As well as the obvious jump in levels, the adjustment from being a part-time player to a full-time one is something Stewart has already had to make, even having to quit his day job to facilitate his new adventure.

He said: “I had an office job working in credit control and accounts and it’s a great office with lovely people who were all really supportive.

"I’ll miss those people but obviously it’s an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

"Training every day has taken some getting used to but we signed another part-time player, Ricardo Dinanga, from Telford, around the same time, so he’s in a similar boat. I played against him last year.

"With me still living in Leamington there’s been a bit of travelling involved but I’ve been car sharing with a couple of other lads and we’re taking it in turns to drive so it’s not been too bad.”

As for what he hopes the move will do for him on a playing level, Stewart is keen to keep adding more and more to his game.

He said: “Being a striker is more than just about goals. I love doing that but there’s more to my game and I’m hoping this move will aid my development a lot.

"Confidence is key to any striker and that comes with playing well – you feel like you belong more to the team and if you’re playing well, goals follow. It goes hand-in-hand.

"The fitness side of things has obviously been a step up but it’s felt quite comfortable so far.

"The big test will come when I start playing games. It’s a big jump quality-wise but at step two and three I’ve been playing against and alongside ex-pros and they’re still at a very good standard.

"There are quite a few full-time clubs at step two so it won’t be new coming up against full-time players.”

Stewart returned to Leamington FC for their win over Darlington, where he had the chance to say farewell – at least in a football sense.

"It was good to see everyone and be there for Jack Edwards’ big day too as he broke the appearance record,” he said.

"I’m sure I’ll be back watching them as much as I can and will always be a fan.”​