HECK, MATES
Brad: Kop colleague Robbo is one of the best in the world but I can outbattle him
CONOR BRADLEY believes he can win his battle against Anfield pal Andy Robertson at Hampden Park tonight.
Bradley, Northern Ireland’s star man, is excited about facing Robertson and Scotland in tonight’s friendly.
He reckons his Kop colleague is one of the top left-backs in the world and is relishing testing himself against him on their wing. But it is typical of the bullish Bradley that he thinks it is a showdown he can win.
“I think it could be a good battle,” said Bradley.
“It’ll be brilliant for me to test myself against one of the best left-backs in the world and I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully it will be a good battle but maybe a battle I’ll win!”
Bradley has helped instil some much-needed positivity into the Northern Ireland camp after last year’s difficult Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
He was involved in Northern Ireland’s goal in their highlycreditable draw with Romania in Bucharest on Friday as boss
Michael O’Neill fielded a side with an average age of 23.5 years.
Bradley, 20, has taken his club form into the Irish set-up and says he hopes more of his international team-mates can join him in the Premier League.
“Hopefully it’s given everyone in Northern Ireland a buzz because the team definitely has a real buzz,” he said. “We want to get some momentum and take that into the next campaign.
“We want as many of us playing in the Premier League as possible, it’s brilliant for us and brilliant for the team.”
Bradley refuses to see going away with Northern Ireland as a break from Liverpool’s hectic schedule.
The Reds, who face Brighton at Anfield on Sunday as they resume their quest for glory in the Premier League and Europa League, will play 15 matches if Jurgen Klopp’s final game is to be the Europa League final in Dublin on May 22.
But Bradley (in training, right) says no one at Anfield is getting ahead of himself.
“Yeah, we just keep looking ahead to the next game,” he said. “If you think too far ahead, it’ll just hinder you in the long run. We just try and focus on the next game. Who have we got next? What are they good at?
How can we stop them? Then after that game we can prepare for the next one. That’s a good way to take it and it’s definitely worked for us so far.”
The Scots, beaten 4-0 by Holland last week, are hot favourites at 1-2 to win tonight’s friendly while Northern Ireland, buoyed by that performance against Romania, are quoted at around 5-1 by bookies.