Jurgen Klopp is likely to hand Conor Bradley his fifth start for Liverpool and just his second of the season in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham on Wednesday.Bradley played the final 15 minutes for Arsenal on Sunday and impressed as the Reds progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The 20-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Bolton, has made four first-team appearances this season, including against Union Saint Gilroy in the Europa League. The Northern Irishman is expected to get another opportunity after Pep Lieders confirmed that Trent Alexander-Arnold will be out for “a few weeks”.
With Kostas Tsimikas needing Joe Gomez at left-back and Andy Robertson, Bradley could fill in at right-back.But who is he? Born in Agyaran, Northern Ireland, Bradley began his youth career at hometown club St Patrick’s FC, playing for Dungannon United Youth and Dungannon Swifts. That was before Bradley joined Liverpool in 2019, where he worked with the club’s under-18s.
Bradley was then promoted to the Under-23s and was promoted to the first team in pre-season after making 14 appearances in Premier League Two in the 2020/21 season. After impressing, Bradley made his Liverpool debut in September 2021, playing the full 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup match against Norwich.
He made his Champions League debut against AC Milan in December of that year, coming on as a second-half substitute at the San Siro. Bradley played a total of 5 games under manager Klopp in the 2021/22 season, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Both competitions are for the Reds. To gain more first-team experience, Bradley was loaned to promotion contenders Bolton for the 2022/2023 season.
Bradley was a standout for the Wanderers, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 52 appearances as Bolton won the EFL Trophy and qualified for the play-offs. Bradley was named Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Player of the Year for his efforts.
Bradley’s playing time this season has been limited due to a back injury, but he returned and made his debut in the 4-0 Europa League win against LASK. He then started and played 90 minutes against Union SG and made cameo appearances in the final cup games against West Ham and Arsenal.
UnlikeAlexander-Arnold, who moves into the halves and midfield, Bradley likes to move up and down the line and stay wide. That’s not to say Bradley doesn’t drop into a central position, as he has the ability to do so, but he often prefers to keep the ball wide and drive it into opposition defenders.
