The Swede was one of the Blues' best players in last season's unsuccessful battle against relegation and McLeish reportedly wants him to sign a new five-year deal.

"I will be determined to keep the players I want to keep here and Larsson is integral to my plans," he said.

"It's right he should be rewarded for a great season. I think we all saw how he came on as a player, and how important he was to the team.

"He's not somebody I would like to see leaving here certainly."

McLeish hopes that the club can keep hold of it's star players, and cited the examples of Zoltan Gera and Kevin Phillips who stayed with West Bromwich Albion in the Championship and have now helped the club earn promotion.

deservedly so

He continued: "I would like to get a chance to sit down with some of the individuals.

"Larsson's going to be a part of the Sweden squad at Euro 2008 and deservedly so.

"I believe he has seen the passion and the enthusiasm of myself and my backroom team in our quest to take this club forward.

"The Zoltan Geras, Kevin Phillips' of this world, the boys who were successful in getting West Brom up, who have been in the Premier League before, they stayed and fought a good fight.

"At the end of the day we went down together and we're going to come up together. That would be my message to the boys.

"And they will be better and stronger for that experience, and flourish to greater things."