Red Brad: This was my dream

Mac Allister has proved effective in a role that’s not natural to him

Liverpool’s

Academy in

2019 from

Dungannon United

Youth as a 16-year-old.

He played 10 games for the club before becoming the first Northern Irishman since Sammy Smyth in 1954 to make a league appearance for Liverpool when he started in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Bournemouth.

Bradley, 20, made his Reds debut against Norwich in the Carabao Cup in September 2021 and was thrilled finally to make his bow in the Premier League.

“I’ve dreamed of this from about five years old,” he said. “My Premier League debut is one I’ve been waiting for for a while, so to get that now, I’m really proud.”

Bradley, who was voted the Player of the Year and the Players’ Player of the Year on loan at Bolton last season, got his chance at Anfield because of Trent Alexanderarnold’s injury.

His 13 Northern Ireland caps outweigh his 11 Liverpool appearances and he was wanted by the Republic before he pledged his future to Michael O’neill’s side.

He has been outstanding since he came on at right-back for Alexander-arnold at Arsenal and will continue at Fulham tomorrow night in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

JAMIE CARRAGHER has anointed Diogo Jota as Liverpool’s best finisher of the Premier League era.

The Portuguese was at his clinical best at Bournemouth, as his brace helped Jurgen Klopp’s side to an impressive 4-0 win.

It’s a bold shout from Carragher, so we asked the

team

for their nominations.

I FIRST saw Alan Shearer striking a ball at goal close up when he was 15. It sounded different from the rest of us, a more solid, true thwack, powerful and accurate. Just like when you first hear a pro golfer cracking a ball.

In the 20 years after those junior games, Shearer proved himself the Premier League’s greatest ever finisher. Goals with both feet, power headers (below), poacher’s instinct and some spectacular long-rangers.

My favourites are the 30-yard dipping volley against Everton in 2002, and his long-range rocket against Chelsea when he out muscled Marcel Desailly, turned and unleashed.

Shearer could finish from anywhere. Check out his caressed volley from a longrange Rob Lee pass against Aston Villa in November 2001, the day his lad was team mascot. That never got the credit it deserved. Forty nine of his record 206 goal haul for the Toon were headers. He scored 56 of his 67 penalties. Shearer was ruthless.

RUUD VAN NISTELROOY is the best finisher of the Premier League era, without question.

His record of 150 goals from 219 appearances for Manchester United, over five seasons, underlines just how prolific he was for

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

There was no one better in the six-yard box than the predatory Dutchman, whose speed of thought and clever movement marked him out as arguably the world’s best poacher at his peak.

Van Nistelrooy (above) was clinical in front of the goal, particularly in one-on-one situations with a goalkeeper. He may have only scored one of his 150 goals for United from outside the 18-yard box, but that attests to just what a lethal finisher he was in and around the goal.

Alan

Shearer may have plundered more goals,

Thierry Henry may have been a more elegant scorer, but in terms of predatory finishing, Van Nistelrooy is undoubtedly the finest of the Premier League era.

IN the Premier League age, you would struggle to come up with a more clinical finisher than Harry Kane. But the greatest finisher? That depends on what you mean by great.

For creative finishing, look no further than

Luis Suarez, who cornered the market for unusually brilliant goals. For nerveless finishing, no one has been better than Sergio Aguero.

Alan Shearer clearly has a cast-iron case for being the best finisher in the competition’s history and he certainly goes down as the best with his head.

But the finest finisher overall? Wayne Rooney’s audacity never ceased to amaze, Thierry Henry was a weekly highlights reel and there was no more accomplished midfield finisher than Frank Lampard.

But for his sheer impudence and confidence – and not for his stats – I am going for Robbie Fowler (above). Quite simply, he was a natural born finisher.

MIRROR FOOTBALL