What can Shrewsbury Town fans expect from new signing Callum Stewart?

The 21-year-old, who came through the youth system in Shropshire, was sold to Blackpool - just two days before their huge cross-border derby game against Wrexham.

But Salop fans were given a reason to smile on Wednesday as they made their first signing of the January transfer window. Callum Stewart joined, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The striker has scored 14 goals in 23 appearances for National League North side Leamington this season, and now he hopes to make the step to the third tier of English football.

He joined the Brakes in the summer of 2023 after a successful spell with non-league Coventry Sphinx at step five.

And speaking to online sports outlet 'M6 Sport' Leamington manager Paul Holleran explained what traits Stewart has.

He said: “Cally is an aggressive little warrior and one who I have high hopes for now he has been given his chance.

“He’s moved up from step five to step two in the blink of an eye and that’s phenomenal.

“Coventry Sphinx deserve a lot of credit for the work they put into him but he’s taken that onto another level.

“Now – and I’m using these words carefully – he does remind me of another lad who I saw play for Stocksbridge Park Steels when I was managing Rushall.

“I remember phoning the late Craig Shakespeare – bless him – when he was at Leicester City, working with Nigel Pearson.

“I said: ‘You need to get some eyes on this Jamie Vardy.’

“They did keep tabs on him but two years later Craig phoned me and said: ‘You know that kid you said to keep an eye on – we’ve just signed him for a million quid.

“I’m not saying Cally is going to reach those levels – but I do see similarities in the way he plays, the work-rate, the ability.

“His game is so much more than scoring goals. He’s versatile. He can play anywhere.

“When we played Rochdale in the Trophy the other week, I played him in the middle of the park, and he was the best player on the pitch.”

Salop have scouted players from the lower leagues before. Dan Udoh, who left Shrewsbury and signed for Wycombe last summer, was brought in from local rivals Telford - he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee back in 2019.

"There’s mixed emotions in losing Cally," Holleran told Leamington's official website. "We’re sad to be losing such a wonderful young man, a great character. We’ve been on a bit of his journey with him - developing him with us over the last 18 months from when he joined to where he is now.

"With him being a Leamington supporter, he’s got that affinity with everyone. As much as we’re disappointed to lose him, it’s been weighed out with the happiness for him and his family and the work that he’s put in, starting down the food chain, being rejected by more clubs than probably any other player has, to keep going and score plenty of goals, getting better and better is an amazing achievement.

"Both ourselves and Coventry Sphinx will be immensely proud, when he gets that scarf above his head at a League One club it’s going to be a special moment and just another step on his journey."