Blackpool FC hero Kevin Stewart now a hot property in business world

The 27-year-old is about to complete his first project with the construction of a 48-flat student apartment block in Birmingham city centre.

The project , led by Stewart and a business partner, is said to be on course to generate a profit of £1.8m following an initial investment of around £300,000.

The former Liverpool player insists he has no interest in selling up and making a quick buck as he sees this as a long-term venture to ensure his financial stability long after his playing career has come to an end.

Midfielder Stewart said: “The stats are scary. As a pro player, it’s massively important to prepare for a life after football.

“There are many ways to make money but I think property is the best vehicle for building wealth.

“Some of the returns you can get are huge and it pays out every month. There are many different strategies you can learn.”

Stewart signed for Blackpool in January on an 18-month contract, having previously played for Hull City.

The Tigers splashed out £4m for his services in 2017 to prise him away from Liverpool, where he had been described as the club’s “best tackler” by Jurgen Klopp.

Stewart moved into the world of property just a year ago but has managed to soak up plenty of knowledge during that time.

His interest was ignited after watching online videos posted by property entrepreneur Samuel Leeds, who is the founder of Property Investors.

Stewart was recovering from foot surgery when he attended one of Property Investors’ courses.

“I never thought I’d be able to do a course like that because I’m always playing football,” Stewart added.

“Then an injury came about and I found a positive in it. The course kickstarted everything for me.

“I sat in the front row, and I really started to find my feet and understand how the property world works and the opportunities to collaborate.

“I would say being there that day was my best moment in property – but in football it has to be playing for Liverpool against Barcelona at Wembley.

“Lionel Messi was playing for them and we won 4-0.”

Stewart later became a fully-fledged member of Leeds’ training academy and came across his future business partner on the entrepreneur’s YouTube channel.

“I learned that one big deal can also take up a lot less energy than having loads of buy-to-lets scattered around,” Stewart said.

“Samuel helped me to calculate the risk elements and I knew it was going to work out well. I’m quite fearless when I set my mind on something.”

Since moving into property development, several pro footballers have been in touch with Stewart to ask for advice.

“The best tip I can give them is to drop being fearful of meeting new people and reaching out to them,” he said.

“The football world can be very secretive and players often stay in their own lane and only mix with footballers.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is to put myself out there and network to build relationships.

“I think sometimes the fear of looking stupid or being judged is what stops a lot of players immersing themselves in something different.

“Football is a very short career, but for me property is something I will do forever after I’ve finished playing.”

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