The Reds midfielder never made an appearance for Spurs.
Liverpool’s Kevin Stewart has told the Echo he felt “sad but relieved” after leaving first club Tottenham Hotspur.
Stewart progressed through Spurs’ youth ranks but failed to feature at senior level, which prompted his 2014 release.
The Londoner, whose only previous first team experience came during a loan spell at Crewe Alexandra, admitted he expected to “join a League Two club or something” until Alex Inglethorpe came calling.
Liverpool’s academy director was Stewart’s former youth team coach at White Hart Lane and a reunion was quickly arranged.
“It was sad, because I was leaving somewhere I’d been my whole life,” Stewart told the Echo. “But at the same time I was a bit relieved as well, because I didn’t really see myself going anywhere. There was no pathway.
“I think I became a little bit stale, I wasn’t playing too well and my head was all over the place. So in the end it was a relief to go somewhere else.”
Ironically, Stewart’s Spurs exit coincided with the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, renowned for placing his faith in young talent, as head coach.
However, Jurgen Klopp, the 22-year-old’s new boss, is also no stranger to giving youth a chance, and has overseen Stewart’s progression from Swindon Town loanee to Liverpool first teamer.
Klopp handed Stewart his Liverpool debut in January this year and the defensive midfielder has gone on to feature 12 times for the Reds in total.
Little over a month after his first competitive appearance, Liverpool handed Stewart a new four-year deal at Anfield.
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