Aberdeen’s Alfie Stewart thriving on ‘fun’ loan spell at Caley Thistle
The midfielder netted for Inverness during their 4-1 victory against East Fife.
Aberdeen loanee Alfie Stewart admits he is having the time of his life as Caley Thistle’s attack-minded League One squad tear up the league table.
The talented young Dons’ midfielder spoke of the “fun” being had by the Inverness players through the brand of football on display after they rose to the top of the division with an emphatic victory over East Fife.
Scott Kellacher’s slick style of play is beginning to look unstoppable, even just eight games into the campaign, although Stewart sounded a note of caution – warning that maintaining the high levels of workrate was key to success.
The entertaining football is certainly adding numbers to attendances, with Saturday’s 4-1 win bringing the highest crowd of the season so far – 2316 – a rise of exactly 200 fans on the last home game in the league.
David Wotherspoon’s second goal of the game on Saturday summed it all up, a sweeping move culminating in an intricate one-two with Stewart and a brilliant, delicate finish.
Getting the supporters through the turnstiles in greater numbers, and off their seats during the 90 minutes, was the declared aim of Kellacher and new chairman Alan Savage from day one.
The 19-year-old Stewart, now in his second loan spell at the renamed Sarens PSG Stadium, celebrated a goal of his own and said: “It feels really good to be top of the league.
“In pre-season, we first spoke about getting out of the minus points tally as quickly as we could.
“Thankfully, we’ve done that quickly and we’re top – but we’re not done yet.
“It’s so fun to be part of.
“I think you can see from the four goals we scored against East Fife, there is so much freedom in how we’re playing.
“It was just little flicks between myself and Spoony for the second goal and a great finish. That kind of sums it up.
“We’re playing some nice football and it is great to be part of, but we also know how hard we need to work to keep it going.
“It is very early, but all of the players are pulling in the same direction and putting in the work we need to get to what we want to achieve.”
Learning from experienced pros
Stewart, while fully focused on helping Caley Thistle achieve a memorable season, still harbours every ambition to make the grade at Aberdeen, where youth phase manager Stuart Duff keeps a close eye on him.
To that end, he is enjoying a steep learning curve alongside the likes of double cup winner Wotherspoon, while using dual registration rules to still appear for the Dons’ young side in midweek.
He stressed: “I’m really being helped by the more experienced guys, like Spoony, Danny Devine, Billy Mckay, Joe Chalmers, the gaffer.
“We’ve a real togetherness about us now and we’re more comfortable on the ball, on the park and in the dressing room. It is all coming together.
“That was my first league goal this term and that’s massive for me this season. Adding goals and assists to my game is what I need to get to the next step in my career.
“Thankfully, I’ve had a few assists this season and I’m now off the mark in terms of goals.
“Personally, I want to help the team as best as I can and I’ll take playing badly if we win, but after that I look to add to what I’m contributing.
“We’ve all got our own responsibilities and try to do it together, but the first goal was a bit of magic from Spoony, which was enough to get us going. Then he produced again for the one that put us back ahead at 2-1.
“There’s plenty of talent to get us out of tight corners in games, and we need to make sure that keeps coming to the fore.”
Stewart is confident the Inverness squad will keep feet firmly on the ground in the campaign ahead.
He added: “I don’t think anyone in that changing room will allow it to go to our heads.
“We’re always on at each other to get the best out of each other. On a Saturday, it is known to a man what we need to do.”
[Source: Press and Journal]
