The striker left the Black Cats on transfer deadline day, signing for rivals Southampton just 24 hours before the team beat Russell Martin’s side 5-0.
Stewart has been a major influence for Sunderland but fitness problems have kept him out of the game this season.
His last appearance for the club was in an FA Cup match last January, following an Achilles injury and has been sidelined since.
Stewart scored 10 goals in 13 league appearances last season but is entering the final year of his current contract.
What did Kristjaan Speakman say about Ross Stewart’s future? Speakman explains Tony Mowbray’s decision to make the most of the first team.
Sunderland’s sporting director believes the club has reached its full potential with Stewart and believes the team can go on without him.
“It’s a very complicated matter because this player has played at a very high level for our football club and we feel honored to have him here,” Speakman said via the main YouTube channel. club consciousness.
“We’re really proud of the progress he’s made here.
“People will probably make judgments about the appearance of Ross Stewart when he comes here. “We maximized his potential and he maximized his opportunities here.
“Sometimes that’s the result: people come forward and have different opportunities.
“What we have to do is make sure we protect the club and what we’re trying to solve in this situation is to make the best offer we can to keep him, that’s the number one priority. One of us and I have said this in all internal meetings and external communications.
“But there are times when you have to make a difficult decision and once you have made that difficult decision – and it is probably a difficult decision for a player to leave – then we have to protect the club from football. and got the best deal, and I definitely think we made it.
Sunderland had a positive start to the season as Mowbray’s side finished ninth in the Championship standings.
A 5-0 win over Stewart’s new side highlighted their current record after two slow opening games. Seven points from games against Southampton, Coventry City and Rotherham United put the team in the top half of the table.
Sunderland’s next is a clash with QPR on September 16.
