Partick Thistle manager Mark Wilson has revealed that midfielder Ben Stanway's decision to remain at Firhill was largely driven by a shared desire to see the club return to the Scottish Premiership.
The 21-year-old had appeared destined for a summer exit following an impressive campaign last season, in which he scored 12 goals as Thistle came agonisingly close to promotion before losing out to St Mirren in the play-off final. Instead, Stanway has committed his future to the Glasgow club by signing a fresh one-year contract, much to the delight of Wilson and the Firhill faithful.
Stanway, who joined Thistle's academy at the age of 11, is now entering his tenth year with the club. Wilson believes that achieving promotion this season would represent the perfect culmination of the midfielder's long association with Thistle.
"He wants to be part of something special here at Thistle," Wilson said. "He's been here since he was 11, so 10 years at the club. In his tenth year, if he can get promotion, it would really be the icing on the cake for him."
Throughout last season, Stanway drew interest from several Premiership clubs as his form continued to impress. Wilson had even suggested back in January that the midfielder's departure was almost inevitable, admitting he had come to terms with the prospect of losing one of his most talented performers.
"His performances were so eye-catching, of course there was going to be interest," Wilson explained. "If I'm being truthful, I was resigned to probably losing him. But we always kept ourselves in with a chance, by keeping in constant dialogue with him – particularly [assistant manager] Alex Rae. As time progressed that window of opportunity opened a wee bit."
That persistence ultimately paid off, with Stanway opting to stay and continue his development at the club where he has spent the majority of his career. His popularity among supporters has grown to the point where fans have dedicated a chant in his honour – a rare tribute for a player of his age.
"He's got a song about him from the fans as well; it's not often you get that," Wilson added. "He just felt an absolute connection with this club and a drive to help Partick Thistle out of this division. That's testament to the lad. He's got a real purpose and determination about him that our young players – and even our experienced ones – can learn from."
Thistle will be hoping Stanway's continued presence in midfield can help push them over the line this season, after they narrowly missed out on top-flight football last term. The club have not competed in the Scottish Premiership since 2018, and Wilson is optimistic that retaining a player of Stanway's calibre will strengthen their bid to end that absence.
Thistle began the new campaign with a 1-0 away win over Greenock Morton and will now face fellow promotion contenders Livingston at Firhill on Friday, in a match set to be broadcast live on BBC Scotland. The clash represents an early test of Thistle's promotion credentials, with Wilson eager to see his rejuvenated squad build on their opening-day success.
With Stanway now fully committed for the season ahead, Wilson's side will be looking to translate last term's near-miss into a successful promotion push this time around, aiming to restore Partick Thistle to Scotland's top division after a seven-year absence.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.