Signed on a free transfer from Sheffield United earlier this month, the 32-year-old boasts 258 Championship appearances and has twice won promotion to the Premier League.
And all that experience came to the fore as Stearman helped to restrict the Bees’ vaunted ‘BMW’ strikeforce of Said Benrahma, Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins to just a smattering of half-chances.
“Richard’s played a million games of football and he’s got a wealth of knowledge,” said Cowley, who also gave debuts to Arsenal loanee Emile Smit Rowe and left-back Harry Toffolo, signed on Friday from former club Lincoln City.
“What he brings is not just organisation. It’s leadership as well. And good leaders are able to get five per cent more out of everyone around them.
“We’re a young squad and a young team, and sometimes they need a bit of help. So it’s nice to have a spine of senior players who have lived football, who have seen all the different scenarios the game throws up.
This story is from the January 19, 2020 edition of The Football League Paper.
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This story is from the January 19, 2020 edition of The Football League Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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