Explained: The switch in position that inspired Kevin Stewart
Having been named in the Liverpool squad for every first-team fixture so far this season, the early signs are that Kevin Stewart is set to build on 2015-16's breakthrough campaign this term.
The No.35, who turns 23 on September 7, made 11 senior appearances last season, impressing with his ability to win the ball in midfield and then use possession sensibly.
When he arrived at the club from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2014 on the recommendation of now-Academy director Alex Inglethorpe, Stewart was in fact billed as a right-back.
But, as U23s boss Michael Beale explains, the position where Stewart now appears most at home was one earmarked for him quite early on in his Liverpool career.
“I think sometimes in football a setback early in your career can almost refocus you and take you to another level, and I think at Liverpool he has shown another level to what he showed at Tottenham Hotspur,” Beale told Liverpoolfc.com.
“It also shows you what a change of opinion and a little bit of a different voice with a pat on the back can do for you.
“The change of position has helped him and our manager Jürgen Klopp has shown a lot of faith and belief in him.
“The boy has grown from having our manager's support and I think that is the case for a lot of young players up and down the country.
“We felt from the first week Kevin came to Liverpool he could play in midfield.
"At the time we were managing people's pathways and at the time we had Jordan Rossiter and Jordan Williams playing there and they were also in our first-team squad.
“Kevin had to bide his time but he always knew the plan was to play him in midfield.
“It was away to Norwich City at Carrow Road in December 2014 when he first played in that position. Connor Randall was due to play in midfield but he was sick 45 minutes before the game and I said to Kevin, now is your time.
“He was outstanding that night in front of 10,000 supporters and he continued that. He then had a couple of loan spells at Burton Albion and Swindon Town which helped him again to play in midfield.
“Kevin was handed his first-team debut in the FA Cup third-round tie at Exeter City last season and from that game onwards I think we have seen him grow in confidence.”
Stewart's willingness to learn is just one of the attributes that has endeared him to Klopp and his staff, and Beale insists there is a lot more to come from the London-born battler as he continues to grow into his new position.
“Kevin is a player that doesn't need a coach to motivate him because every day he comes to work and he gives you his 100 per cent focus,” he added.
“He is a superb athlete and is very mature for his age.
“I still think there is more to come from Kevin. He hasn't always shown how strong technically he is but he has shown his physical attributes and his discipline.
“Kevin is a Red and he comes from a family of Liverpool supporters and he is a great lad.
“When you speak to Kevin, he never gets carried away and is never full of himself. He is not someone who gets carried away by a top performance or too low if he hasn't performed to his best.
“He is very honest, he works hard and is committed. He is a fine young man who is showing what a very good football player he is too.”