Bradley’s showing he can handle the hype
IT is easy to fall into the trap of overhyping a youngster based on a couple of promising displays but Liverpool’s Conor Bradley looks the real deal. The coaches at Anfield love him and former Belfast boxer Carl Frampton has even mentioned him in the same breath as George Best. ‘Here’s a shout, Bradley is going to be Northern Ireland’s highest-profile player after Best,’ he said last week. Punchy analysis from the man nicknamed Brick Fists, but it shows how highly rated Bradley is becoming. He has not looked out of place in a team of heavyweights across the last fortnight, in which he has started Liverpool’s last two games — a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg win over Fulham and this tricky-looking trip to Bournemouth. If it were not for Trent Alexander-Arnold playing in the same position, there is no doubt Bradley would have stated a strong case to start more games for a team still fighting on four fronts. The 20-year-old from Castlederg earned rave reviews in Liverpool’s first pre-season friendlies, when he started at right back with the all-action AlexanderArnold in midfield. But player and club have had to be patient since then, owing to a stress fracture in the youngster’s back. After impressing on loan at League One Bolton last season, when he notched up 10 goal involvements from full back and swept up the fans’ and players’ player of the season gongs, Liverpool had lots of interest from clubs wanting to take him on a temporary deal this term. But the Reds insisted he was staying and told Bradley he would be part of the first-team squad. And after missing about four months with that injury, he has stepped it up since the turn of the year. Yesterday’s fine performance on the right flank at Bournemouth was capped with an assist for Diogo Jota’s second goal. He had already popped up in a number of dangerous attacking positions, especially after the break. Bradley had 74 touches and was a constant outlet for Liverpool. Defensively, he did not put a foot wrong either. Liverpool credit coach Vitor Matos for the success of their academy products this season — 10 players in the squad at Arsenal this month were graduates. The former Porto assistant is essentially a link man between the youth sides and the first team, informing Klopp which players are ready to move up. Bradley is certainly one of those — and Klopp knows it. The German said: ‘Really, really good — very impressive. A really hard worker, a really good footballer, a defender who can attack.’