‘Couldn’t have gone much better’ – Liverpool breakout deal of the season

There were high hopes for Conor Bradley when he joined Bolton on loan, but few expected the Liverpool defender to shine as brightly as he does.

Bradley was already a Northern Ireland international with five caps for Liverpool’s first team, but a move to a full-time role in League One was still important.

The teenager left Anfield for the former Reebok in June and made 53 appearances for Wanderers, scoring seven goals and six assists.
With Bolton he won the Papa John’s Trophy and reached the semi-finals of the play-offs.

He now returns to Liverpool to prepare for Jurgen Klopp’s first season, with a decision to make whether to stay or be loaned out again. So how has Bradley performed this season and what can we expect for the future?

Bradley’s loan to Wanderers couldn’t have gone much better.
He has been a key member of Ian Evatt’s side since the first game of the season and is close to the top of the Bolton side in terms of minutes on the match.

Despite his young age, Bradley maintained a level of consistency during his first full season in men’s soccer.

Unintimidated by big games, he seems to thrive under pressure, helping whites finish in the top six and win the Papa John’s Trophy. What were its strengths and weaknesses?

Dangerous up front, Bradley has scored seven goals in all competitions as a full-back this season.

His dribbling is also an effective weapon and defenders struggled to contain him last season.

It’s hard to pinpoint the weaknesses of the youngster’s time at Wanderers, but one small problem would be that his enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of him.

He picked up some unnecessary bookings and served a two-match suspension in February, but that aspect of his game will improve with experience. Anything else you can tell us about your coverage of Bradley at Bolton?
Bradley also made a good impression off the pitch.

Evatt praised his strong work ethic and says he’s always eager to absorb information and up his game.

He quickly became a popular figure among fans and was greeted with cries of “Conor Bradley, we want you to stay” at the club’s end-of-season awards ceremony, where he accepted three awards.

If he is loaned out next season, I could see Bradley playing for at least one major league club. He proved last season that he can handle the EFL physique and would benefit from promotion up the divisions

Can you imagine Bradley being a long-term option for Liverpool?
Obviously, given the quality of Trent Alexander-Arnold and others, breaking into the Liverpool first team is a huge challenge.

But Bradley has a lot of potential and if he continues to work hard and develop, I wouldn’t be too surprised if he ends up getting a few chances in Jurgen Klopp’s team.