Stewart exits Southampton after failure to agree contract

Ross Stewart's goal in the win over Middlesbrough counted for nothing [Getty Images] Southampton have announced that Scotland striker Ross Stewart is one of seven players to exit the club after their controversial failure to win promotion to the Premier League. They say in a website statement "an option to extend the Scotsman's contract was not agreed". Southampton owner Dragan Solak told the Daily Echo a week ago that their expulsion from the promotion play-offs for spying on opponents meant they missed the expiry date of the 29-year-old's contract extension clause. Solak was quoted as saying Stewart's "lawyers say that they're disagreeing with us" after Saints tried to trigger the clause and it was then up to "Ross and his team to basically decide whether they want to stay or not". He argued that "nobody would be better for Ross than us" and pointed out they had "worked hard" to get the striker fit in time to be selected for the World Cup after his latest injury absence. "He went from a guy who didn't play for two years to be invited to the World Cup team," Solak said. Stewart progressed up the ladder from the West of Scotland League with Ardeer Thistle and Kilwinning Rangers to Albion Rovers, St Mirren, Ross County and Sunderland before his switch to Southampton in 2023. He played 50 times for Saints, scoring 12 times, 11 of them this season in 33 appearances as his side finished fourth in the Championship and beat Middlesbrough in the play-off semi-final before being expelled from the final over "Spygate". Stewart earned his third Scotland cap as a substitute in their 4-0 victory over Bolivia at the weekend as Steve Clarke's side prepare to begin their World Cup campaign against Haiti on Saturday.