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Liverpool are adamant that Kevin Stewart will not leave the club in the January transfer window despite plenty of interest, a source has told ESPN FC. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp sees Stewart as "essential" to the first-team squad this season and is a huge admirer of the 23-year-old's ability and professionalism, the source added. The former Tottenham Hotspur trainee was subject to interest in the summer, too, but Liverpool will not currently entertain any approaches, with the player being valued by clubs in the region of £10 million. Stewart signed a new long-term contract in November as a reward for his impressive performances in the senior side. The source said Liverpool acknowledge the concern in the long-term future for Stewart will be the lack regular action on offer due to the side's strength in the deep-lying midfield role, with Jordan Henderson and Emre Can ahead of him in the pecking order. Stewart made his Liverpool debut in last season's FA Cup tie Exeter and has gone on to make 18 first-team appearances in total. Former Liverpool under-23 manager Michael Beale recently hailed Stewart's application, and always maintained the belief that he could cut it at the Premier League level. "I'm so proud of him but I knew he had it from the first day I met him," Beale told The Anfield Wrap. "There was just something about him as a boy. "He's the most humble, hard working boy, we literally had to send him home from the academy every day. "He was a Liverpool fan as a kid. Kevin moved to Liverpool and was living in an apartment on his own and didn't want to go home. He'd stay after training and do extra work in the gym. "He's a much stronger player in training than you've seen from him in games at the moment and he's had some big games, the Barcelona game [at Wembley in a preseason friendly]. There's more to come. "The manager has shown great faith in him and he's recently signed a new long-term contract I think which is a great sign."
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