Aberdeen winger Alfie Stewart discusses Dons future after impressive Caley Thistle loan spell
Attacking midfielder Stewart, 19, was back with the Dons last week as he now waits to discover what happens next following the League One title triumph at Inverness.
Alfie Stewart hopes a title-winning season with Caley Thistle can lead to a new deal with Aberdeen this summer.
The 19-year-old Dons academy graduate spent his second successive campaign on loan at Inverness and he was a standout as Scott Kellacher’s team won the League One title, despite starting on -5 points due to the club being in administration two years ago.
His efforts were further recognised as he collected the William Hill League One player of the season award.
He was also voted Caley Thistle’s players’ player of the year and the fans’ player of the year.
Before Stephen Robinson became Jimmy Thelin’s replacement as Aberdeen manager in March, Stewart and Alfie Bavidge, who was also on loan from the Dons at ICT, were told their contracts would not be renewed this summer.
However, that story took a twist last week when Robinson said the two Alfies and Ryan Duncan, who had a loan stint at relegated Championship Ross County, would be considered for new deals.
It’s understood Caley Thistle have tabled permanent offers to Stewart and Bavidge, with the team preparing for life in the Championship.
‘Training with young boys (last year) didn’t sit well with me’
Fresh from a short break in Ibiza, Stewart – speaking to latest The Wyness Shuffle podcast – explained how he’s now waiting on further guidance from Pittodrie.
He said: “Because the new manager has come in, there was a bounce game last Tuesday, so a few of us had to play in that.
“It wasn’t the manager who made the (original) decision to let us go, so we’re just staying close right now just to see what happens over the next few weeks.”
And Stewart, who scored eight goals for ICT this term, explained why he jumped at the chance to return to Inverness after a 17-match loan stint in 2024-25.
He added: “After the first loan spell (at Inverness), I came back to Aberdeen, and I wasn’t doing pre-season training with the first team. I was with the young boys and that didn’t sit well with me.
“I wanted to get straight out on loan and prove to people why I feel I should be there.
“The League Cup games were so close to the start of the season, so you were not going in and training or playing pre-season friendlies. It was straight into the real deal, so it was a win-win to have those games early.”
[Source: Press and Journal]
