- Ray Stewart backs fellow Scot Robert Snodgrass to be a success at West Ham United
- Full-back played more than 400 times in Claret and Blue, winning the FA Cup in 1980
- Penalty king Stewart was Livingston manager when Snodgrass was coming through the ranks there
Ray Stewart believes that Robert Snodgrass can follow in his footsteps and join the exclusive group of Scottish crowd favourites at West Ham United.
After signing from Hull City for £10.2m last month, the 21-times capped Snodgrass added his name to a popular list that includes the likes of John Dick, Frank McAvennie and Christian Dailly, topped by legendary right-back and penalty king Stewart, a member of the Hammers' 1980 FA Cup-winning side.
And Ray, who went on to make 432 appearances for the Hammers after signing from Dundee United in 1979, believes that Snodgrass has all the ingredients needed to form a special bond with the Club’s supporters.
"I’m sure he will be a great success,” said Ray, when we caught up with him this week. “He is a playmaker and a goalscorer, but he works hard for the good of the team, and that is a winning combination for West Ham fans.
“I’m so pleased he has ended up at West Ham. He is signing for a wonderful club, with wonderful supporters, and he will hopefully enjoy the prime years of his career with us.
“I was only a young boy when I came down, and I also carried a fairly big price tag, but if you’ve got confidence in your ability then you don’t think about that. You just think about working hard and showing what you can do.
“Robert will want to do that, and I’d really love him to become a favourite among the fans. I know how special that feeling is, and I still have that bond now.”
He is a playmaker and a goalscorer, but he works hard for the good of the team, and that is a winning combination for West Ham fans
Ray Stewart
And the link between the pair goes beyond the claret and blue shirt. Ray was manager of Livingston back at the turn of the Millennium – the same time that a teenage Snodgrass was making his way through the schoolboy and youth ranks at the Scottish club.
“I can’t take any credit!” laughs Ray. “I was obviously responsible for the first team at the time and Robert broke through after I left, but his name was always mentioned as one to watch in the future.
“A guy named Tony Taylor was the head of the youth set-up at that time, when Livingston had a great reputation for bringing players through. The likes of Graham Dorrans and Leigh Griffiths all came through their system, but Robert was always the one who stood out.
“His career has gone from strength to strength since those days, and I’m so delighted he is at West Ham now.”