Celtic are heading into the summer looking for a striker, and Barney Stewart is one of the names being watched as the club weighs up its options. Paul Cooney said on Go Radio that the word is Celtic are monitoring Stewart and others, while Kevin Kyle delivered a blunt view this week, saying the Falkirk forward is not yet ready for a move to a club like Celtic.

Kyle did not dismiss Stewart’s talent. He said the 22-year-old is “young and learning” and has “so much potential moving forward,” but added: “Do I think he is ready for a club like Celtic? No, absolutely not.” He suggested Stewart could fit at a side such as Aberdeen, saying the way Stephen Robinson plays could suit him. Kyle also pointed to the way Stewart works inside Falkirk’s system, noting there are matches where he may barely touch the ball, but still makes himself central to everything the team does.

That role has helped turn Stewart into one of Falkirk’s most talked-about players. The 22-year-old turned professional at 20 and has been a key part of a newly-promoted side that still managed to secure a top-six finish. Kyle said Stewart has been “a massive part of what Falkirk have done,” praising him as a focal point who can hold the ball up, lay it off, get into the box, cause problems, drag defenders out of position and bring others into the game.

Stewart’s rise matters because Celtic’s search for a striker has become one of the recurring issues of recent transfer windows, with the club yet to settle on the answer it wants up front. That backdrop has given extra weight to any name linked with the job, and Stewart’s form has also pushed him into wider conversation about whether he could break into the Scotland squad for the World Cup. Kyle said that is a “big ambition,” but stressed it is difficult, even as he called it a positive that Stewart’s name is being mentioned because he is one of the few Scotland players scoring goals.

The tension around Stewart is simple enough. His season has been good enough to bring bigger clubs into the frame, but not everyone believes the jump should come now. Celtic may still decide he is one for the future rather than the present, and that would leave Falkirk with a striker whose profile is rising fast. For Stewart, the next step is not just about interest. It is about whether the goals continue to force the issue.